(ZENIT News / Macao, 09.26.2023).- The opening ceremony of the “Art for God” Artworks and Spiritual Reflections Exhibition was held on September 22, at 3PM, at Rua Formosa No. 5 R/C Macau, and was officiated by the Head of Training and Quality Management Department of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms. Doris Leong, the Acting Head of Department of Non-Tertiary Education of Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macau SAR Government, Ms. Choi Man Chi, the Head of the Division of Visual Art of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Mr. Lam Vai Ip, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macau and Chairman of ACCM, Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang, Fr. Joseph Tham, L.C. (Legionary of Christ) and other prestigious guests. The exhibition of works by Fr. Joseph Tham, L.C. is organized by the Macao Catholic Culture Association (ACCM) and co-organized by the Regina Apostolorum Foundation, Hong Kong, Limited.
Placing Fr. Tham’s artworks within the context of traditional Chinese philosophy and Christian spirituality, the exhibition features the traditional Chinese theme of harmony between heaven, earth and humanity in Chinese calligraphy, brush painting and seal carving, revealing the glory and mysteries of God through arts. Fr. Joseph is not only a Catholic priest, a doctor, and a professor of bioethics, but also an artist, with outstanding achievements in Chinese painting, calligraphy and seal carving. His artworks have been exhibited internationally in Canada, USA, Mexico, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
To build a foundation of mutual understanding from a cultural perspective has always been one of the aims of ACCM. During the opening ceremony, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macau and Chairman of ACCM, Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang stated that true beauty is the manifestation of harmony. Nowadays, there are too much violence and sins in our lives, and people’s desire for harmony has become even stronger. This exhibition expresses man’s desire for harmony between heaven, earth and humanity through Chinese art, giving us the opportunities to appreciate the convergence of Chinese culture and Catholic culture from a different perspective, cultivating beauty through art, thus, promote harmony in the world. Fr. Joseph Tham, L.C. also stated that by using Chinese calligraphy, brush painting and seal carving artworks as a bridge of cultural exchange, he hoped to use beauty to touch the hearts of man, so that more people can know the truth, goodness and beauty of God.
The “Art for God” Artworks and Spiritual Reflections Exhibition (Macao) by Fr. Joseph Tham, L.C. starts from September 22 to October 2, 2023, at Rua Formosa No. 5, R/C, Macau, with a series of Chinese Calligraphy Workshops, guided tours of the exhibition, and Live Painting by Fr. Joseph. During the exhibition period, organizations are welcome to organize a group of 10 or more for a special guided tour by Fr. Joseph himself.
The “Art for God” Artworks and Spiritual Reflections Exhibition (Macao) by Fr. Joseph Tham, L.C.
Date: September 22, 2023 (Friday) until October 2, 2023 (Monday)
Venue: Rua Formosa No. 5, R/C, Macau
Website： https://www.macaucca.org/artforgod
FREE Admission
About Macao Catholic Culture Association
Catholicism has been in Macao for over four hundred years and has always been an important meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures. Macao has many centuries of religious history and customs that are not only an important cultural heritage but they have contributed greatly to the local communities. This long-term collective experience gives the Catholic Church in Macao and its faithful certain distinctive characteristics.
For this reason, the Macao Catholic Culture Association aims to promote this rich historical Catholic culture encompassing two thousand years of Catholic Church tradition and four hundred years of Catholic culture and tradition in Macao.
The Macao Catholic Culture Association also supports the preservation of Catholic architecture and cultural relics which characterise the Catholic Church in Macao and its precious history.
The Macao Catholic Culture Association also regularly edits and publishes materials that are beneficial to achieving its purpose, and organizes various types of Catholic cultural promotional activities with local and international Catholic organizations, so as to achieve friendly cultural exchanges with the community and other religious groups.
In line with contemporary new media communication technology and innovative digital resources, the Macao Catholic Culture Association has opened an online resource platform to integrate the historical characteristics of Macao’s Catholic culture into modern new media culture, thus promoting the popularization and sharing of Catholic cultural resources.
Aims
The Macao Catholic Culture Association is a non-profit organization established in July 2018. The chairman is Bishop Stephen Lee, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macau.
Our aims are as follows:
(1) To promote Catholic culture;
(2) To support the preservation of Catholic architecture and cultural relics;
(3) To organize and hold various types of Catholic cultural promotions and activities;
(4) To edit and publish materials that are beneficial to achieving its purpose.
Official Media Platform of the Macao Catholic Culture Association：
Website: www.macaucca.org
Facebook/Instagram/YouTube: MacauCCA
