Recently my automotive artwork was included in the Vintage SpeedWorks (Netherlands) gallery wich hosts a selection of international artists with the classic car and motorsports as a comon theme. Here is part three of my interview with Peter Ribbers from VSW.
What can you tell us about your far-east experience in Macau and Hong Kong?
Already as an effort to promote my work to new markets outside Portugal in 2015 I travelled for the first time to the far-east specifically to Macau where I have some relatives there who were kind to invite me to stay for some weeks. The reason for this was the MACAU GRAND PRIX and it´s more than 60 years of history so even before arriving to Macau I started to conceive a series of paintings related to the most significant moments of this motorsport event. The MACAU GP LEGENDS paintings (15 in total) were exhibited in 2016 and 2017.
Sketching an ASTON MARTIN GT3 at MACAU GRAND PRIX pits, in November 2015.
“Eduardo de Carvalho wins the 1st Macau Grand Prix in 1954”
“MACAU GP LEGENDS – Motorsport Art by João Saldanha”
Exhibition at Rui Cunha Foundation Art Gallery in Macau, November of 2016.
With the Theodore Racing Principal Teddy Yip Jr. next to Ayrton Senna Macau GP Legends painting at the “MACAU GP LEGENDS – Motorsport Art by João Saldanha” exhibition at the Macau Government Tourist Office in RITZ Building in Macau, November of 2017.
What happened in Hong Kong?
Already when arriving in Macau in 2015 I tried to explore new possibilities regarding the Hong Kong automotive art market. In fact the very first time I was in HK (November of 2015) I was already attending a classic car event and drawing live in Chater Road (Central). Almost by chance I found new audiences and new clients in the enthusiastic petrolhead Hong Kong community. I have been to China every year from 2015 to 2017 working in new projects and taking several commissions (mainly for Hong Kong) and even got some media exposure specially in HK both in print and online media.
Sketching Classics in Hong Kong (Chater Road and Edinburgh Place) in November 2015.
Hong Kong´s petrolhead enthusiast magazine Milk Motor Club (edited by the BLACKBIRD Group) has published in it´s latest December issue a comprehensive showcase of João´s work in a 10 page richly illustrated article. The main focus is the MACAU GP LEGENDS paintings, including an interview João gave during the 2017 MGPL exhibition in Macau.
“FERRARI FANS”
All began in the 80´s: João found the pleasure of drawing, “chose” Ferrari, Formula 1 was back to Portugal and i went to Caramulo (and it´s museum) in the summer.
A pen and pencil drawing from the late 80´s of Giuseppe Farina in his Ferrari 625 F1 at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1955, Gerhard Berger´s Ferrari rests at the boxes in the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix and João in his teens is pictured next to the Ferrari 195 Inter from Caramulo Museum car collection.
Many years later João painted the only Ferrari 250 GTO (acrylic on canvas) to ever race in Portugal, at the 1964 Portuguese Grand Prix held in João´s hometown urban track of Cascais.
After seeing live at RETROMOBILE the legendary Ferrari 330 P4 nº 21 runner up of the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hour race, João captured (acrylic and pencil on paper) the incredible lines of what is considered by many as the most beautiful racing car ever made.
“HONG KONG STREET VIEW”
João was in Hong Kong for the very first time on 15 th of November 2015 and the first hours were spent drawing on the street…a Ferrari Dino in Chater Road, in the heart of the island. That was the moment his HONG KONG STORY began and some of his all time best works were made in or from Hong Kong and it´s unforgettable streets and cars.
A Ferrari 250 GTE makes a stop at an imaginary old Hong Kong street (watercolor and pencil on paper) a Ferrari Dino is pictured on Chater Road in Hong Kong Central (watercolor and pencil on paper) and a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL “Pagoda” rests in a “old postcard like” imaginary vintage Hong Kong neighborhood (acrylic on canvas).
Hong Kong´s petrolhead enthusiast magazine Milk Motor Club (edited by the BLACKBIRD Group) has published in it´s latest December issue a comprehensive showcase of João´s work in a 10 page richly illustrated article. The main focus is the MACAU GP LEGENDS paintings, including an interview João gave during the 2017 MGPL exhibition in Macau.
Eduardo de Carvalho was the very first winner of the Macau Grand Prix back in 1954 and Ayrton Senna perhaps the most famous winner of this legendary competition in 1983.
In the years of Formula One in Estoril João was lucky to see live the brasilian 3 times world champion and he cought a special moment with his camera! Also ilustrated is João´s creative process behind his paintings.
The seven time Formula One World Champion Michael Scumacher is also a legend of the Macau Grand Prix history mostly because of the dramatic battle for the win with another future World Champion Mika Hakkinen.
In 2017 João painted this 120×60 cm acrylic on canvas painting capturing the moment when in the penultimate lap Hakkinen tries to overtake Schumacher on the main straight… and crashes leaving the german free to win the race and the title.
Hong Kong´s petrolhead enthusiast magazine Milk Motor Club (edited by the BLACKBIRD Group) has published in it´s latest December issue a comprehensive showcase of João´s work in a 10 page richly illustrated article.
From his first teenage years of Formula 1 & Ferrari fanatic and aspiring illustrator to the MACAU GP LEGENDS paintings (with an interview João gave in the last MGL exhibition in Macau) and not forgetting his very special HONG KONG STORY with it´s unforgettable streets and cars. The MACAU GP LEGENDS paintings are the main focus: two Formula One World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg open the article.
“FERRARI 250 GTE (1962) in Hong Kong”
“Datsun FAIRLADY 1600 (1966)”
“Datsun FAIRLADY Z (1976)”
JOÃO SALDANHA 