People Matter

An award-winning architect, urban planner, designer and artist with his cutting-edge creations widely recognized and internationally published. Awarded with the “Medal for Cultural Merit” by the Governor of Macau (1987) and the “Medal of Value” (Medalha de Valor), the highest distinction in the Territory, by the Governor of Macau (1999). Decorated by the President of the Portuguese Republic with the title of “Great Officer of the Order of Prince Henry” (1999), and awarded with the “Medal of Professional Merit” by the Chief Executive of Macau SAR Government (2002) and was awarded the “2019 Identity Awards” by the International Institute of Macau.

One of the most active and distinguished artists working in Asia today. In his artistic career that spans over three decades, Bessmertny paints, draws, makes sculptures and installations. Bessmertny studied fine art in the grand academies of the Soviet Union, his thoughtfulness on a wide range of subjects’ matter – literature, music, history and politics, as well as his diverse cultural background. His works are often signaturised by colourful chaos, surrealistic landscapes, contradictions and absurdities.

An artist and anthropologist originally from Richmond, Virginia whose research-based art and writing draw on folklore, mythology and media archaeology to highlight overlooked histories and speculate about possible futures. This often involves building links between material culture and affects from boredom to shock. 

Affect and atmosphere are two recurrent elements in Chan’s artwork. In her paintings, isolated figures and desolate landscapes are drawn with expressive brushstrokes. In her sound installations, field recordings from nature and urban environments are combined with improvised music to create otherworldly settings. Growing up, Chan experienced Macao’s transition from Portuguese to Chinese rule and has lived in various places herself. These cultural shifts led her to explore the complexity of identity and representation as well as societal prejudices and expectations. Through her artwork she addresses feelings of displacement and estrangement, provoking consideration of the relationship between humans and their environments.

This young artist's talent emerged early. His works sold out at solo exhibitions and featured on Fuji Television's "The Night Before Break: Artists of the Next Generation" garnered him public attention, all while he's just a high school junior. His free-spirited creations captivated audiences, skillfully merging opposing elements, his one-of-a-kind pieces exude unique curvaceous beauty. He captures the moment of attempting to free itself from the limitations of communication as his visual language, a universal and borderless instant, by elevating the contemporary visual elements into artworks. This enables a two-way transmission of consciousness between the viewers and the paintings. 

An  interdisciplinary artist whose creations investigate themes of identity, abstraction, and materiality through energetic compositions that fuse vivid color, expressive brushwork, and intricate layers. Informed by his Afro-Brazilian background and Southwestern inspirations, Cheatwood's diverse body of work, encompassing abstract and figurative painting and textiles, pushes the boundaries of conventional approaches to storytelling and shape in modern art.