An exhibition by Portuguese Macau-based visual artist Lúcia Lemos is currently on display at Creative Macau, presenting black-and-white photographs of the iconic Casa da Música in Portugal. Titled “A White Diamond Exhibition,” the show opened last week and runs until March 28.
The exhibition presents a series of black-and-white photographs, reflecting Lemos’s fascination with the fleeting moment between framing and releasing the camera shutter. According to Lemos, photographing with traditional film brings a sense of happiness and discovery, especially when unexpected details emerge within the image, according to the exhibition text.
A central focus of the exhibition is Porto’s architectural landmark Casa da Música (“House of Music”).
Speaking to the Post at the opening ceremony on Thursday, Lemos said the series was inspired by her fascination with the striking architecture of Casa da Música, which she photographed in black-and-white in 2006 using her Rolleiflex camera.
The “Rolleiflex” name is most commonly used to refer to Rollei’s premier line of medium format twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras produced in Germany.
Lemos said that the exhibition’s title, “White Diamond,” reflects the distinctive appearance of the concert hall. “Casa da Música is an iconic white building in a very old city,” she pointed out. “It is surrounded by buildings from the 19th and 20th century made of dark granite. In contrast, Casa da Música, built in 2005, is very white and bright, with many faces like a diamond. That is why I named it ‘White Diamond.’”
She told the Post that the building immediately captured her attention when she first encountered it. According to Lemos, the unusual structure created a strong emotional response, both visually and personally. “It had a big impact on my eyes and my feelings,” she said, describing the attraction she felt toward its form and presence.
Lemos noted that the building was controversial when it was constructed because of its modern design, adding that appearing suddenly among Porto’s historic architecture, the structure stood out for its innovative and unconventional style, which was very different from the surrounding buildings.
Lemos added that her interest in photographing the structure was driven by its visual qualities rather than technical aspects. Reflecting on the process of photographing the site, Lemos said she experienced a sense of happiness while framing each shot. “Any angle of the building – the light, the shape, the brightness – made me happy,” she said. “When I frame the picture, I try to capture reality and the singularity that the building gives to us.”
Lemos is an award-winning multidisciplinary visual artist whose work spans photography, video fine art printmaking, jewellery, ceramics, sculpture and installation art. Her solo exhibitions have been held in cities including Berkeley in the US, Lisbon, Macau, Monza and Palermo in Italy, Porto, Salzburg in Austria, and Shanghai.
With free admission, the exhibition runs until March 28 on the ground floor of the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) from Monday to Saturday, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Macau-based Portuguese visual artist Lúcia Lemos poses with one of her exhibits at Creative Macau in Nape on Thursday. – Photos: Khalel Vallo
