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Macau GP Legends – Teenage Passion became Artistic Inspiration


Hamilton / Rosberg 2004; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Hamilton / Rosberg 2004; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Eduardo de Carvalho wins the 1st Macau Grand Prix in 1954; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Eduardo de Carvalho wins the 1st Macau Grand Prix in 1954; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

António Félix da Costa wins the Macau F3 Grand Prix in 2012; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

António Félix da Costa wins the Macau F3 Grand Prix in 2012; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

John Macdonald; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

John Macdonald; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Ayrton Senna wins the Macau F3 Grand Prix; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Ayrton Senna wins the Macau F3 Grand Prix; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Arsenio Laurel '63; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

Arsenio Laurel '63; © 2016 Joćo Saldanha

 

Even as a youngster, Lisbon-born Joćo Saldanha had honed his early drawing skills on motorsports related motives. Growing up only kilometers the Estoril formula one circuit, he was fortunate to watch most Portuguese Grand Prix in person, as well as several winter testing sessions. These lasting experiences, and family influences, let him to developed a passion for Formula 1 - and Ferrari.

On his way to adulthood, he began to draw the most recognized Italian models of the 50’s and 60“s, the Formula 1 cars and the GT“s. What was a serious hobby at one point, eventually defined his esthetic and artistic formation. Cars as an artistic work subject became the driving force behind his academic studies in his pursuit of a degree in Product Design at the Lisbon Fine Arts School.

Joćo works on both mixed media on paper (watercolor, pencil, markers) and acrylic on canvas. Most recently he focused on the racing history of the Macau Grand Prix and started to produce a collection of paintings (acrylic on canvas) titled “Macau GP Legends”. Says Joćo: “The car is my favorite drawing object and racing has always fascinated me ever since i watched the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Estoril. In the realm of Asian motorsports, Macau and its races are an exponent of excitement, speed and noise. I could not resist trying to capture some of these emotions through the use of paint on a cotton canvas.”

Relying on historic photo and film sources, he recreated moments of the Macau GP history, trying to seize the unique ambiance of this legendary race. The result is a personal interpretation of some of the most iconic moments and legendary drivers that raced and won this prestigious event throughout its more than 60 years of racing history, grouped into the three Macau GP categories of single seater, GT and motorcycles.

A recent exhibition at Macau at Rui Cunha Foundation gallery featured eleven original, never before shown paintings (acrylic on canvas), spanning Eduardo de Carvalho on a Triumph TR2 in the 1st Macau GP in 1954 to the much more recent winner of the 2012 Formula 3 race, Félix da Costa. Ayrton Senna also became a Macau GP Legend when he masterfully won the first Formula 3 Grand Prix in 1983.