An artistic dialogue has been created between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, thanks to the 2010 Hong Kong and Macao Visual Arts Exhibition.

The show, which opens Monday at the Beijing World Art Museum, encourages open-minded thinking and creative techniques within the visual arts scene in Hong Kong and Macao.

On display are over one-hundred exhibits covering a wide range of genres, including paintings, posters, sculptures, calligraphy, and installation art. All aim to recreate different perspectives of life among people in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs.

Participating in the exhibition are 83 Hong Kong and Macao artists of different generations. Their various backgrounds and experiences help to create a panoramic view of the cultures of Hong Kong and Macao, which are two indispensable cogs on the wheel of Chinese culture.

Chai Bu Kuk, one of the exhibition's curators, says over the years ink-wash painters in Hong Kong have been working tirelessly pursued their cultural roots while sticking to the tradition of Chinese fine arts.

Chai Bu Kuk said, "After Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, great changes have taken place in Hong Kong, particularly in Hong Kong's arts circle. Hong Kong artists then realized they were in urgent need of defining their cultural identity. They have developed their own approach of traditional Chinese ink painting over the years.

As you can see, artists are usually not keen on the subtle use of strokes and different shades of inks. Instead they combine a palette of colors with ink-wash paintings, as well as a variety of media, resulting in an earnest reflection of what Hong Kong is like through their eyes."

Compared with pieces from Hong Kong, most of which accentuate the traditional side of Chinese arts, what Macao artists present is a blend of western and eastern elements.

Sio In Leong, Macao artist, said, "At first I drew an oil painting of a self-portrait, which I thought a bit rigid. So I decided to add another 'me' in the composition who is drawing a picture of me. So this completes the piece with the idea that there are three me's involved. And that makes the whole work much more fun."

The exhibition is held at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture in an effort to deepen and strengthen the cultural exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

The 2010 Hong Kong and Macao Visual Arts Exhibition runs at the Beijing World Art Museum until Sunday.

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