Macau-based Portuguese artist Maria Elisa da Rocha Vilaça opened her solo craft exhibition “EVERYTHING IS CREATED, EVERYTHING IS TRANSFORMED.” on Thursday at CREATIVE MACAU in Nape, using artworks made from natural and discarded materials to encourage environmental awareness and sustainable living.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Paulo Canelas de Castro, president of the Centre for Creative Industries (CCI) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), praised Vilaça as “a very prominent member” of Macau’s Portuguese community whose artworks are recognised not only in Macau but also internationally. He said the exhibition highlights the relationship between nature and art while encouraging the public to embrace the principles of “reuse, reutilise and recycle”.
Castro also noted that Creative Macau was established to provide a platform for local artists to exhibit alongside members of Macau’s diverse communities, adding that Vilaça’s exhibition reflects the centre’s mission of promoting artistic exchange and supporting cultural development.
Vilaça said the exhibition reflects her long-standing commitment to education and raising awareness, particularly among younger generations, about respecting nature and making better use of materials that are often thrown away, adding that “modern society has become increasingly driven by excessive consumption, with people discarding items almost immediately after use”.
Vilaça also said she hopes to inspire visitors to see the value in reusing everyday objects instead of treating them as waste.
The exhibition features work created from materials collected across Macau, including leaves from gardens, driftwood, beach finds and objects recovered from rubbish bins. Each piece demonstrates how discarded or natural materials can be transformed into something new through creativity, noting the importance of teaching children to appreciate nature from an early age, arguing that environmental awareness should begin through education and everyday experiences, according to Vilaça.
Vilaça highlighted that today’s younger generation is growing up in an increasingly fast-paced and automated world, making it even more important to encourage curiosity, creativity and meaningful human connections.
The exhibition presents both an artistic showcase and an environmental appeal, inviting visitors to rethink consumption habits and discover new possibilities in materials that might otherwise be discarded.
Running through July 25, the exhibits are on display at the CREATIVE MACAU gallery on the ground floor of the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape with free admission between Monday and Saturday, between 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Photos: Khalel Vallo
