The Macau Grand Prix has long been the most notable motorsport event for the people of Hong Kong, but it’s also become of significant importance to foreign enthusiasts as well.
João Saldanha was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1974, and has practised observational drawing since childhood. Growing up just a few kilometres from the Estoril Formula One circuit, he attended almost all the Portuguese Grands Prix, and he quickly became passionate about motorsports. As Saldanha grew older, he began sketching the most recognisable Italian models of the 50’s and 60’s. That eventually led to a degree in Product Design from the Lisbon Fine Arts School.
Today, Saldanha is a professional artist who focuses on illustrating motorsports, and also produces sketches for Portuguese classic car events and produces private commissions for Portuguese and foreign car collectors all around the world. In 2015 Saldanha attended the Chater Road Show in Hong Kong for the first time, where he produced live drawings.
While there he became interested in the history of the Macau Grand Prix, the most iconic racing event in Asia. He began producing a collection of paintings (acrylic on canvas) he calls “MACAU GP LEGENDS”, which are his personal impressions of many of the most historic moments and legendary drivers featured in this prestigious event over the past 60 years.
During the 2016 Macau Grand Prix week, Saldanha presented his first solo exhibition of 11 of these original, never-before-seen paintings at the Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery, just a few hundred metres from the legendary Guia Circuit.
