Every artist faces a unique set of difficulties especially for artists in Macao. But what makes them keep on creating and promoting art in Macao?

 

"The awareness of collecting and appreciating artwork is very weak in Macao. Similar to other artists, I have created a large number of artworks. All the artworks are usually used for exhibition purpose, I can only sell them once in a while so I need to take it easy," explains Lai Sio Kit, a local artist, who picked up a brush at the age of six, had been studying art in Beijing for seven years.

 

Until recently, Lai has also been teaching part-time at Macao institutions, spending the rest of his time in producing artworks. He thinks that it is very tough to survive in Macao as an artist.  Most of the time, an artist will earn insufficient income if he does not work in other fields. Consequently, this makes it very hard to continue the journey of art.

 

"There are also a lot of limitations of doing art in Macao. For instance, some exhibition halls or museums usually have a limited space. Therefore, large pieces of artwork cannot be perfectly displayed," he adds.

 

Lai goes on to explain that the limitation also means inspiration. "It motivated me to turn the same piece of artwork into a totally different way." Because when the artwork makes connections with the space, it can be recreated and reverted through imagination according to the offered conditions and space. As a result, it can deliver brand new perspectives to the audience.

 

Laura Sofia, 31, artistic director of performing art group Macao Artfusion, says that one of the biggest issues for them is the venues. Venues for rehearsal and venues to perform. Macao has wonderful places but the prices are extremely high and the availability is always limited.

 

"Despite the fact that Macao is small, it is an amazing destiny for art lovers. We have several festivals, events and parade. Art could be easily spread to the streets and indoor venues due to the diversity of performances. The multicultural environment can also inspire us to create something special and unique. Macao provides opportunities to local institutions, associations and groups to bring their expressions of culture and art to life," Sofia says

 

Sofia goes on to explain that Macao is a multicultural destination and it is able to create a closer relationship between the city and artists; sculptors, writers, painters, performers, musicians, poets, architects, designers and so on. "We can actually make Macao a better place," she says.