The exhibition “Splendid Colors – Embroidery Art Exhibition from Chongqing and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” will be held at the Tap Seac Gallery from 12 February to 15 March.
The exhibition’s opening ceremony will take place at the gallery on 11 February at 6:30 pm.
The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Macau SAR’s Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Chongqing Municipal Development Committee of Culture and Tourism and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as coordinated by the Center for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, and co-organised by the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR.
In order to allow residents to experience the embroidery craftsmanship, thematic workshops will be held on 7 and 8 March, in which intangible cultural heritage inheritors will personally introduce embroidery techniques. All are welcome to participate, according to IC.
Embroidery is one of the most representative traditional arts of the Chinese nation. With a profound historical heritage and rich artistic creativity, it has multiple values such as practicality, aesthetics, ritual significance and cultural inheritance, and different ethnic groups in different regions have gradually formed artistic embroidery with distinctive styles over time, IC has pointed out in a press release.
This exhibition features a selection of 154 pieces/sets of embroidery works from Chongqing and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, showcasing four types of embroidery techniques including Shu embroidery from Chongqing, wedding embroidery from Wuxi, Miao embroidery from Youzhou, and “Xilankapu” (traditional brocade woven by Tujia people), as well as three types of embroidery techniques by the Uyghur, Kirgiz and Kazakh peoples from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
All the embroidery techniques mentioned above have been inscribed as national or municipal representative intangible cultural heritage.
The exhibited works are created by intangible cultural heritage inheritors and masters of arts and crafts, showcasing the exquisite elegance of southern embroidery and vibrant colours of northern embroidery.
These embroidery works are not only technically accomplished and diverse in style, but also rich in ethnic cultural heritage. Their materials, motifs and colour embody the aesthetic sensibilities and creativity passed down through generations, expressing people’s aspirations for and pursuit of a better life, according to IC.
Meanwhile, several intangible cultural heritage inheritors will present embroidery demonstrations at the exhibition venue at 6 pm on the opening day, as well as at 10 am, 11:30 am, 3 pm and 5 pm on 12 February. Each demonstration will last approximately one hour.
Furthermore, in order to allow the public to have a better understanding of the embroidery techniques from Chongqing and Xinjiang, the Chongqing Shu Embroidery Workshop and the Xinjiang Embroidery Workshop will be held on 7 and 8 March, at 10 am and 3 pm, respectively.
The workshops will be held at the Activity Room of the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum, located at No. 151–153, Rua de Francisco Xavier Pereira.
Instructed by intangible cultural heritage inheritors, the workshops will guide participants to create their own embroidered works. The workshops are free of charge and will be conducted in Mandarin.
Each session is limited to 16 participants, and is open to residents aged 16 or above. Registration can be made through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account from 10 am on 12 February. Each applicant can register for one session only. If the number of registrants exceeds the quota, selection will be made by a random draw. Successful applicants will be notified by SMS.
The exhibition is open from 10 am to 7 pm, including on public holidays, during the exhibition period. Admission is free. For more information visit IC’s website or contact 2836 6866.
Source and Image: IC
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