Season Selections 2020

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Season Selections 2020

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By Art Vietnam Gallery, December 23, 2020

Nguyen Cam Golden Age of Asia 2004 Mixed media on canvas 130 x 211 cm

Season Selections 2020

Dear Treasured Clients and Friends,

As the mercurial 2020 draws to a close, we want to share with all of you some of our revelations during this turbulent time.

There will always be change and no change.

There will always be good and there will always be bad.

We will be healthy and we will be sick.

It is in our nature to grow old.

We invite all of you to grow old with us in peace and reflect on all the many wonders of life that are always present, one must only open their heart, mind and eyes to see.

All of us at Art Vietnam are especially grateful to all of you who have loyally been by our side through good times and bad. We so appreciate your devotion, loyalty and support.

Tis the season to celebrate life and all the goodness that comes with being alive.

We have selected one work from each of our artists that we think most poignantly expresses this magnificent gift that we hold in our hands…this magical thing we call life.

Nguyen Cam, Hope 2 (Red Sun) 2013

Cam is Art Vietnam’s most senior and dearly revered artist, recently exhibited at the prestigious NYC gallery Rosenberg & Co. This beautiful show opened March 11 and closed March 12, during these dramatic times, reminding us that all is impermanent. Throughout this and all the years of trials and struggles, the artist retains his sense of beauty and hope.

Nguyen Nghia Cuong, Balance II 2006

Cuong’s playful mirth always reminds us that life is a dance, we move back and fro, ever mindful of keeping our balance.

Dinh Cong Dat, Grasshoppers 3 2004, jumping up soundlessly, the lively grasshopper brings us memories of the simple joys of hot summer days.

Nguyen Duc Dung, Boat of Leaves 2 2008, Dung, one of the members of Zenei, the contemporary calligraphy group of Nom scholars, presents his modernized styling of Nom characters flowing like a boat of leaves, intertwined with nature, connecting us with the earth.

Tran Trong Duong, Untitled 7 2008, with his free splattering of Chinese ink on paper frees our mind to flow like a river.

Rienke Enghardt, Framework III ttt20 1998, this Dutch artist’s homage to her most profound inspirations, fellow countryman Vincent Van Gogh and the renowned artist and pacifist, Tran Trung Tin, whom she befriended in 1993 on her first visit of many to Vietnam. A beautiful friendship flowered between the two artists culminating in a dual exhibition of their work in 2005 at the Art Vietnam Gallery, the first time Tin’s work had been exhibited in Hanoi, honoring the work of this great Vietnamese master, shortly before his death in 2008.

Nguyen Thi Chau Giang, Inside of Us 2013, a masterful silk work, uniquely painted on both sides, a Dragon on one side representing Yang, the masculine and a woman’s face on the other side representing Yin, the feminine energy, both of which are inside of all of us.

Diep Quy Hai Year of the Buffalo 2 2017, Hai never fails to delight the viewer with his playful, whimsical depictions of the zodiac painted in lacquer on circular discs of spun bamboo. 2021 will ring in the Year of the Buffalo, its earnest, hardworking character will be tasked with the great work of healing the world from all the recent hardships. We have faith we shall overcome.

Vu Thu Hien, At One with Nature 2015, this exquisite work on the handmade Do paper, divided into epochs of time, past, present, and future, reminds us of the importance of being fully present. The past is gone, the future has not arrived, we are here, now.

Ha Tri Hieu, Happiness 2014, is a signature Hieu, one of the celebrated Gang of Five artists, the pioneers of contemporary art in Vietnam. The stolid buffalo, the countryside girl, the protectorate dog, are bucolic symbols emblematic of the rural poetry of Vietnam and the artist who honors thus.

Nguyen Manh Hung, Checkpoint 2015, at his best with his tongue in cheek representations of the realistic style in which he injects a profound sense of playfulness, humor, and Vietnamese absurdity. His recent work reflects the contradictions and ambiguities that are so tangible in the rapid development of his home country.

Nguyen Lan Huong, Full Moon 2007, Huong’s use of lacquer reflects her desire to celebrate traditional Vietnamese practices and customs. The exacting slow pacing that the making of a lacquer work requires that the artist has diligence and patience, two characteristics that are harmonious with the lifestyles of the ethnic minorities. This ritual of the women bearing offerings for the altar is central to the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.

Catherine Karnow, Chula Pho Noodle Dress 2014, in her classic intimate style, Catherine captures the imaginative genius of our sui generis Diego of Chula, the fashion design house he created in Hanoi. Diego graciously designs a fabulously unique outfit for me to wear at our exhibition openings, based on the works of art that we are exhibiting, a custom for which I am eternally grateful. Many of our clients reply…we love the work but we have to have the dress! A great compliment to this extremely talented designer.

Sebastien Laval, Hanoi 18h/6h #39 2012, this young French photographer immediately fell in love with Vietnam at first sight during his initial visit in 1993. This series of photos were taken from 6:00pm to 6:00am without any artificial light, enabling the artist to capture the unique beauty and stillness of the city in its purest form.

Nguyen Thi Trinh Le , Space 6 2019, these computer generated images use elements of the artists’ sculpture molds, intertwined with elements of space, time and nature to reflect the nature of interbeing within all of us.

Mai Dac Linh, The Quiet Time #55 2014, in Linh’s quiet reflections on the nature of time, the artist used as inspiration the ancient designs on the Dong Son drum, the triangular shapes representing the past, present and future, the circular bands representing the cyclical nature of life, with the lotus flower in the center as the base of purity and enlightenment.

Dinh Y Nhi, My Little Happiness #45 Blue 2016, the artist created an entire body of work of her feelings as she observed passerby’s from her coffee shop each morning. The artist says, "When I drink coffee near my house I like the idea of 1 billion people passing by…. again and again. I am the only one who stays - observing and looking at them in a quiet way. I understand that deep inside we are all different but when I look at them they look the same. Like a drop of water in the river, the cycle of life of everyone is actually the same; we are born, get married, have children, die, start again."

Maritta Nurmi, Birds n’ Clouds 2013, this work is from Maritta’s exhibition in 2013 entitled Anima, symbolizing will, consciousness, thought, breath, life, spirit.

This work Birds n’ Clouds suggests a sense of existence and nonexistence, the birds appearing and disappearing as the viewer alters his viewpoint. Do they exist or do they not? Are they mere flights of fancy, or are they real? Is it important to be or not to be? The question remains with the viewer, a provocation to examine what remains beyond matter, beyond form.

Phi Phi Oanh, Armor 2014, a Vietnamese artist born in America, acclaimed internationally for her innovative use of Vietnamese lacquer, Phi Phi uses her outsider perspective to give us a detached view of identity. The Armor, a lacquer torso combined with a mask and pith helmet, gives physical form to the armor we all wear in order to keep our singular identities intact in a world of often conflicting and contradictory ideologies.

Dinh Tham Thi Poong, Conversation about Destiny 2018, perhaps one of Tham Poong’s finest works, this work portrays the artists unique vision of the world with her layers of pattern, contemplating figures who seem to ponder the very nature of life and the beauty of life’s complexities. One can see the influence of the great master of pattern, the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt and the cloud patterned figures which represent the spirit world, inspired by one of Poong’s favorite artists, Rene Magritte and yet the artist has created her very own Asian pattern of description.

Simon Redington, The Faith Healer 2020, by way of asking the viewer to engage in critical thought Redington’s work offers his audience a way out of the opiate haze of consumerism and profit. The world that the critical minded are offered entrance into isn’t a utopia but at the very least it pays homage to a reality comprised of values beyond the confines of property and greed, it is the place from which action becomes conceivable again, where faith and hope might put down a new root.

Jorge Rivera, 3 Stools 2015, a work from Jorge’s Hanoi exhibition The Dream, in which the artist created all the parts of the Honda Dream motorbike. The artist states, "The Dream is my personal attempt to portray the spirit, the essence and the strength of the Vietnamese character. My intention is to get close to who the Vietnamese are as human beings, their dreams, identity and aspirations, using the intimate relationship they have with their motorbike as the tool to explore and expand on their persona."

And of course no motorbike experience is complete without the end of the day relaxation at the bia hoi (local draft beer street side hangout) on the small plastic seats, here crafted in marble.

Tran Hoang Son, The Steps III 2006, Son a highly respected teacher of lacquer painting at the Vietnam Fine Arts University and a devout Buddhist, has created an homage to the steps one must take to reach enlightenment.

Nguyen The Son, An Binh (Peacefulness) 2013, Recognized internationally for his creation of 3 dimensional photography, by utilizing his unique method of “photo –relievo”, layers of photographs create a 3 dimensional structure that physically resembles the layers of transformation the houses have gone through over the years. As the houses morph and are altered to fit the ever evolving needs of the inhabitants, they provide a mirrored reflection of the social, moral and physical landscape of the society itself.

Truong Tan, We will Never Die 2016, this work was selected for the Fuzhou Lacquer Exhibition in China 2019. The artist says of this work, “the artists in Vietnam live in a very hard and chaotic society, the life is difficult. However, this looks like the beginning of something new in the oval never ending cycle of life. . As we go through life we go from bad to good, breaking through to form something new. This is creation."

Nguyen Quang Thang, Untitled I 2008, Thang, one of the group of contemporary calligraphers and Nom scholars, Zenei, has created a powerful abstract depiction of the Nom characters in Chinese Ink on Xuan paper. The artist writes solely in Nom characters. He writes sentences in Vietnamese and thinks about the content before he starts to paint but when he starts to write he forgets all. Only when he forgets all – empties the mind – can he come and go – the mind is open and free. He follows the characters, not for their originating force but for artistic impulse which they carry towards him. Like a man following a running stream Thang treasures each character’s intrinsic beauty.

Nguyen Minh Thanh, Beside the Lake 2017, this delicate work on silk is a distinct reflection of the current life of this reclusive artist. Dedicated to his meditation practice, Thanh lives a solitary peaceful life surrounded by nature, ruminating on the meaning of human existence.

Vu Kim Thu, City Light 2016, a delicate handcrafted work of Chinese ink drawings of landscapes on Japanese mino washi paper, that the artist created herself while on several artist residencies in Japan.

Phan Cam Thuong, But Thap Aspirants 2019, Thuong a well-known and accomplished Buddhist scholar and researcher, wrote the definitive history of But Thap Pagoda, one of the sites of where Buddhism first entered Vietnam. Living at the pagoda for many years during his research and teaching, Thuong is familiar to the multifaceted legends of the search for peace and understanding by following the path of Buddhism.

Le Thua Tien, Unsent Letter April 20 2018, Tien a solitary, introspective artist from Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, writes in charcoal on canvas, words that are common to all of us…words that one wanted to say, but didn’t say, couldn’t say, and how those memories, words, remain in the subconscious. Mixing media and symbology Tien veils and unveils in his attempt to portray the passage of time and what remains, the imprints that one cannot forget, that plague our dreams and occupy our consciousness. The works are haunting in their fragile, weathered beauty filling the atmosphere with a reverence for time past, for life lived, loves lost.

Le Quy Tong, Passage to Freedom #7 2016, Tong examines the present by revisiting the past. His altered images of protest, revolution, rubble and revolt are a way of combating forgetfulness, of prolonging history and highlighting its malleability. For Tong, these reminders constitute an absence of certainty and amplify an eternal openness – inviting viewers to reinterpret the past without restraint.

Pham Van Tuan, Untitled #4 triptych 2008, Tuan a very gifted artist and member of the Zenei contemporary calligraphy and Nom scholar group. In each piece of this triptych the strokes are equally dominant as the artist concentrates on illuminating the relationship between black and white. He feels his energy comes from God and a belief that a strong mind creates the strong stroke.

Dang Anh Viet, Exploration 03 2012, Viet spent seven years studying Chinese language and Chinese ink traditional painting at the Hua Trung University in Hu Bei, China. He perfects his own special technique with this free flowing use of ink in the abstract style.

Le Quoc Viet, This is What I Heard #40 2008, Viet is a Buddhist scholar, the founder of the Zenei calligraphy and Nom scholar group, and one of the most renowned calligraphers and artists in Vietnam. Because all of Buddhas teachings were oral, this body of work takes its name from the first line in every Buddhist text, This is what I heard…. a brilliant combination of woodblock prints, calligraphy and painting.

For TET of 2008, the lunar New Year of the Rat, Viet created 60 scrolls, representing the 60 years of an entire life cycle.

This body of work - a combination of calligraphy, woodblock prints, painting, and ink drawing - takes an unabashed look at the moral disintegration of modern society. Critical of the loss of basic ethics when faced with the possibility of advancement, Viet’s works depict the lavish and hollow state of both urban and rural contemporary life.

Pham Quang Vinh, Year of the Buffalo I 1997, Vinh, one of the celebrated Gang of Five members, has created a joyful, hardworking buffalo, an endearing symbol of the tenacity and perseverance of the Vietnamese people and their sacred ties to the land.

Lolo Zazar, The Three Graces 01 2020, our playful, imaginative Lolo never fails to honor his love of women in the most charming and endearing of ways. This whimsical metal sculpture embodies the strength and easy charm of the power of the feminine.

We at Art Vietnam Gallery wish all of you a joyous holiday season wherever you may be. We are so grateful for your support, friendship and loyalty over all these years, and we look forward to seeing you again in a safer, kinder world.

Suzanne Lecht

Art Director

Art Vietnam Salon Gallery

No. 2, Alley 66 Yen Lac Str.

Hanoi Vietnam

+84 24 3862 3184

+84 (0) 912048018

info@artvietnamgallery.com

http://www.artvietnamgallery.com