Guests of honour officiated the opening ceremony of the Sands Gallery booth, presented by Sands China Tuesday at Art Central, Hong Kong’s annual premier international art event at Central Harbourfront.
The Sands Gallery booth features artworks by three of Macao’s forward-looking, promising young artists – Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man. Together, they offer a magnificent display of Macao’s enduring artistic charm to visitors.
At Art Central in Hong Kong, Sands China marked the grand opening of its Sands Gallery booth, bringing together more than 40 artworks and historical materials from Macao.
The booth combined works by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Dor Lio Hak Man with items from “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers,” which was on view at Sands Gallery in Macao.
The company said its participation reaffirmed its commitment to promoting art and culture in Macao. Since Sands Gallery was established as a permanent art space in 2022, Sands China had used it to connect Macao artists with the wider art world. The opening day gathered nearly 100 guests from Hong Kong and Macao.
Sands China celebrated the grand opening of its Sands Gallery booth Tuesday at Art Central, Hong Kong’s premier international art event.
Sands China was the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise from Macao invited as an Associate Partner of Art Central. Through the booth, the company aimed to strengthen Sands Gallery’s role as an international cultural portal and support the global visibility of Macao’s art scene.
The display ran from March 25 to 29 and included works that reflected each artist’s distinct practice and connection to Macao. Lei’s series was based on scientific theory and transformed spectra, proportion and geometry into blocks of colour and light.
Leong explored value, migration and cultural identity through multimedia works that examined the relationship between Macao culture and artistic expression. Lio combined Japanese manga and Western painting to build imaginative narratives shaped by everyday and philosophical themes.
Sands China celebrated the grand opening of its Sands Gallery booth Tuesday at Art Central, Hong Kong’s premier international art event.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, Executive Vice Chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “Since the establishment of Sands Gallery in 2022, Sands China has been committed to fostering cultural exchange between Macao and the world – by leveraging the gallery as a bridge that brings the world of international art into Macao, while carrying Macao’s rich artistic vision to the world. After four years of dedicated efforts, we are honoured to be the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise from Macao participating in Art Central as an Associate Partner.
“Today, we are delighted to introduce three exceptionally promising young artists from Macao — Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man — showcasing their creative flair to international audiences. Through the power of art, we hope to bring the world closer and deepen people’s understanding of one another.
“Macao is a city shaped by over four centuries of cultural exchange between East and West. To reflect this heritage, we are also presenting elements of our special exhibition, ‘A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance,’ currently on view at Sands Gallery in Macao, enabling global audiences to experience this shared memory of Macao’s vibrant days. By participating in this year’s Art Central, we aim for Macao to be a wider international cultural portal, highlighting the stories of Macao artists — and to leverage art as a bridge for global understanding, so we may flourish and grow together.”
Lei said: “I would like to express my gratitude to Sands Gallery for supporting me on my artistic journey. From participating in the collateral exhibition for Art Macao at Sands Gallery a few years ago to being here at Art Central today, every step has held great significance for me. The three series on display took me 10 years to complete, and their rich content reflects my unwavering dedication to artistic practice and exploration. With the support of Sands Gallery, I believe that we can use Art Central as a platform to exchange ideas with artists from around the world while elevating my work to new heights.”
Leong said: “It was an honour to participate in a collateral exhibition for Art Macao at Sands Gallery a few years ago. I am honoured to join hands with the gallery once again to bring my recognised works to Art Central. Our participation in this prestigious art event not only opens a window for the future development of Macao’s art and cultural industry, but also allows the city’s distinctive artistic and cultural heritage to shine on the global stage. With the support of Sands Gallery and the showcase of my multimedia works that blend Eastern and Western cultures, we can unleash more opportunities to establish a presence on the global art scene and allow Macao artists to be seen by wider audiences.”
Lio said: “It is my first time participating in Art Central, and I am truly honoured to have been invited to an international platform outside Macao to showcase my works to global audiences and connect with artists from around the world. I am grateful to Sands Gallery for providing Macao artists with such a valuable opportunity to pave the way onto the global stage, showcasing the city’s creative flair to the world. Through this exhibition, I hope my works can reach more people and bring them a sense of resonance and joy, while demonstrating the strength of Macao’s art scene to the world.”
A historical collection from “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers” currently on view at Sands Gallery in Macao.
The booth was presented alongside the Macao firecracker heritage exhibition at Sands Gallery, including original packaging labels from the Iec Long Firecracker Factory centenary project.
Professor Ung Vai Meng also hosted a seminar at the Art Central Theatre on March 29 on the visual culture of Macao’s firecracker packaging.
Artist Profiles
Lei Ieng Wai
The 39-year-old artist is a graduate of the Oil Painting Department of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, holding both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He currently serves as director of the Macau Artist Society, and vice president of the Macau Youth Art Association, and is a renowned and influential artist in Macao.
Leong Chi Mou
The 34-year-old artist graduated from the Macao Polytechnic University’s Faculty of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts (Oil Painting). He is a member of the Macau Artist Society and one of Macao’s most influential emerging artists.
Dor Lio Hak Man
The 49-year-old artist serves as vice-director of the Macau Artist Society, vice president of the Macau Youth Art Association, council member of the Society of Urban Sketchers Macao, and a member of Comic’s Kingdom Macau. He teaches visual art at a Macao high school and via private lessons.
