A painting titled Spring in the Forest, lacquer on wood (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) — Lacquerpaintings depicting nature, plants and flowers throughout the year are ondisplay at an exhibition by artist Nguyen Tran Cuong.
Titled Invisible Seasons, the exhibition opened on October 23 at the VietnamFine Arts Museum.
Cuong showcased 16 lacquer paintings made during the past two years. They showthe changes in plants during the four seasons.
“I feel clearly about life, about doing my work and finding a way to transformmy feelings of the changes in endless time and dimension,” he said.
Saying his own work was a challenge, Cuong added that living in the suburbs foryears had given him an opportunity to feel close to nature and especially tofeel the changes of time and space through summer, autumn, winter and spring.
“The changes from this season to another can sometimes be very clear, but alsovague; familiar, but also strange and fresh,” he said.
“Life takes us in its stormy wheel until we suddenly see the bloomingof cotton tree flowers (Bombax ceiba) when March comes or the peach and apricotflowers that spring brings.
“Nowadays, people are so busy and rush around, without noticing the beauty ofseasons. They miss the signs. They don’t realise the passing of time. My workuses nature’s cues to act as visual reminders to appreciate the treasures thatnature gives us.”
Artist and critic Trinh Tuan, formerly Cuong’s lecturer, said: “He doesn’tproduce a large amount of artworks, but is full of aesthetic spirit which ishard to find," said Tuan. “With any subject, he adds his significant aestheticssense which chills the audience with emotional and profound perception.
“This man and his artwork is not a star on the red carpet, but can be found byart lovers in the corner of a bar, or on a bench in the park."
Cuong has exhibited in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, HongKong, Japan and Britain.
Kim Lam, Director of the Affinity Art Gallery in Hong Kong said one of herfavourites was Plumeria, or frangipani, with egg-shelled white petalscontrasting with a deep turquoise background.
“A strategically placed vertical band of gold leaves lends a contemporary noteand lights up the work like an early morning beam of sunlight, a timelyreminder of the imminent arrival of summer,” she said.
“Cuong encapsulates nature in his own poetic way and modernistic sensibilities,celebrating the mood and stillness of a fleeting moment. We would like tocongratulate him for this collection and trust that as we look at hispaintings, we will remember to rediscover the beauty of seasonality.
The exhibition will run until October 28 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hanoi.
It is sponsored by Art in the Forest, the art supporting fund of FlamingoGroup.-VNA
VNA
