– Jasmin Yiu
Iconography is not only art. An icon contains rich biblical content, and it is also a tool for presenting traditional faith. Macau faithful now have an opportunity to have a glimpse of the sacred beauty of icon paintings.
“Gate of Mystery” Byzantine Painting was launched at the Cathedral on 10 December 2018, Monday, and will run until 6 January 2019. The exhibition is organized by the Macau Catholic Cultural Association and Macau San Luca Cultural Promotional Co. Ltd, and co-organized by the Catholic Diocese of Macau. Over 40 icon paintings are on exhibit.
A rare Chinese icon painter
Macau Diocesan Social Communication Center Director of Performance Events and Project Division Agnes Wong told O CLARIM that what makes this exhibition even more special is that the faithful can get closer to God through the hands of a lay woman. She said, “We often have a perception that icons are only drawn by Western people. But Theresa Tung Lan Chih, one of the painters, is a Chinese, and particularly a married lay woman, which is an inspiration for us.”
Agnes also hopes that through Theresa’s example, Macau Catholics will be inspired to develop their own talents and gifts from God. She continued, “Theresa is not a commercial artist, and she was originally a businesswoman with two kids. But she gave up her business and followed God’s call after realizing her talents. She started learning by herself found God in the process.”
Most of Theresa’s paintings are drawn with delicacy and covered with gold leaf, which is an arduous technique. Apart from Theresa’s icons, the exhibition also shows the icons drawn by Fr Isidro Aragón Diez, a Dominican priest, who had served in Taiwan and Hong Kong for almost 20 years. Originally a Biblical expert, Fr Diez felt an interest in icon painting and started learning only in recent years.
Follow
