A cup of tea served with a muffin on a breezy, sunny afternoon – which seems to slow time and open up the mind -  is probably how Nick Tai’s works make you feel at first glance.

One of Macao’s up-and-coming young artists, Tai is often absorbed in his philosophical contemplations on humanity and creations in the dead of night. The often lively and humorous imagery expressed in Tai’s works - with intertwined sense and sensibilities, coupled with the frankness of his personality - affords him freedom in his creative process without unnecessary adornments. With his ideas and viewpoints expressed inadvertently, he spontaneously uses the language of painting in a delicate and humorous manner, together with a rigorously composed and harmonious yet ironic style of presentation, in an effort to inspire the intrinsic contradictions and imaginations of humanity.

The twenty latest oil paintings created by Nick over the past two years are on display in this exhibition, whereby exhibition-goers can not only follow his in-depth thoughts but observe his creative impulses stimulated by seemingly insouciant scenes or objects. A generally talkative person, Tai is also able to fully express himself on canvas. In his works, he uses his ‘eye’ to capture and experience the sometimes bizarreness of human nature and to analyse the absurdity and strangeness of society. Painting with flat brushwork in a thick and bright tone is perhaps Tai’s style. Those correctly or incorrectly written Portuguese phrases in his paintings – often thought-provoking – are like monologues, so casual and heart-warming are they.

Serving as the principal medium of Tai’s works, human characters are often situated in a quiet corner of a room, signifying interdependency between memory and reality, or conflicts between the inner self and outer world. While these characters may seem to enjoy themselves obliviously, they may engage in a unique ‘take’ on their seemingly carefree lives. These scenes resemble the frozen fragments of life, leading us to watch a mysterious play staged by Nick, of human stories in slow motion, scene after scene.

‘Emotional Scenes’ cast doubts on identity and the human condition. Collisions between Western and Chinese cultures as well as value systems directly impact Tai’s works, giving rise to an uncertain identity. Religion, love, race and gender are among the favourite subjects in Tai’s discourse. After years of evolution and refinement, what will soon be presented to us is a dramatic and thought-provoking scene of life.

Tong Chong
Curator