Inspired by previous artists

Being a son of the Capital, the economic vortexes made Dinh Phong choose Ho Chi Minh City to start a career. After being successful in business, this man reflected on his life, and perhaps the pain of the passion for painting and sculpture that had been engraved in his heart since childhood arose again. In the past 5 years, he has spent almost all his time self-studying and creating. For him, self-study is not loneliness, but a process of observing, reading, exchanging and nurturing admiration for many artists who have gone before. Artist Dinh Phong shared: “I am self-studying, and believe that art has no fixed theory. Art philosophy is a personal matter. When I paint, I look close and then far away, if I am not satisfied, I erase, stop, paint again, paint something else. For me, art is passion. It cannot be explained.”

Artist Dinh Phong and his works of art.

During his creative process, artist Dinh Phong had a joint exhibition with sculptor Dao Chau Hai in 2022 and organized three solo exhibitions, including: "Flying Man and Surreal Dream" in 2020; "Surreal Dream" in 2021; "Dinh Phong Painting - Sculpture" in 2025. In addition, his two creative spaces in the South also displayed hundreds of works, from large paintings to complex metal statues, requiring high techniques, high material costs and taking a long time to make. Looking at the number of works that artist Dinh Phong created, few people would think that this is the result of only about 5 years of artistic work. Only by practicing continuously, even without setting a goal of achievement, can one create so many creations. His works are imbued with lyricism, and always aim for freedom of the soul, like the freedom he always longed to express after years of wearing the "businessman" outfit.

Artist Dinh Phong creates at the studio.

As someone who has followed Dinh Phong's journey since the beginning, sculptor Dao Chau Hai commented: "Issues of creative thinking and artistic ideas seem unimportant to Dinh Phong. He practices creation based on his personal feelings, so its value is determined by the exposure of emotions, which not every artist can achieve. Those are the most valuable and remarkable values ​​when talking about Dinh Phong's art."

To the fruits of artistic labor today

  From an academic perspective, artist Dinh Phong is one of the few Vietnamese artists pursuing the direction of “material aesthetics”, considering matter, light and emptiness as the subject of expression, not the means. The period 2024-2025 marked a turning point in his creations, when Dinh Phong left the traditional canvas plane to enter the practice of “de-painting”, taking painting beyond the limits of two-dimensional surfaces. He experimented with painting on thin steel plates, stainless steel mesh and corroded copper leaves, creating a “metallic” material language in painting. “I live in the present, so I work in the present. Whatever materials inspire me, I work with them. For me, the past or the future are just objects for research, while creativity always belongs to the present,” artist Dinh Phong confided.

The work is painted on thin steel plates, stainless steel mesh and etched copper foil.

Sculptor Dao Chau Hai also commented that: “The gradual replacement of common acrylic paint with metal plates, wire mesh and the use of synthetic techniques on flat surfaces has created a new appeal compared to Dinh Phong's previous paintings and that proves that deep down Dinh Phong has hidden talented qualities. He should maintain his artistic practices, like many other cases without academic or professional training, they still create rich and precious values. Art should not be dependent on or constrained by form, technique, language, or material; the most important thing is to express personal awareness and feelings towards the times.”

The creative style of using metal to create works was introduced to the public by artist Dinh Phong through works at the exhibition "Dinh Phong Painting and Sculpture". In which, researcher Vu Huy Thong took on the role of curator; art consultant was sculptor Dao Chau Hai and a set of documentary photos was taken by Harry Nguyen. Researcher Vu Huy Thong commented: "In the previous 3 exhibitions, Dinh Phong only used acrylic paint on canvas, a material and painting technique that was not remarkable except for the strange system of models and shapes in the abstract painting style. From a psychological perspective, Dinh Phong was fully aware that only personal style, number of works, number of exhibitions and time issues were the standards for evaluating the criteria for artistic practice".

Sculpture by Dinh Phong.

More than 30 works with diverse forms, from large-scale paintings, some of which are over 10m² in size, to sculptures made of various metals such as copper and stainless steel, have been selected to be introduced in the exhibition. Artist Dinh Phong uses techniques of copper etching, painting, heating, grinding, hammering, punching, crumpled metal mesh and acrylic and collage techniques to open up a new aesthetic perception. The gray tones blend with the green rusty copper leaves, the strong contrasting shapes of the metallic shine and the dark areas caused by the impact of temperature.

Although still abstract motifs with much improvisation, the above combination evokes new associations about an archaeological site, about ancient fragments, or more broadly, the sense of time and the destruction they leave behind. Researcher Quach Cuong said: “Dinh Phong’s paintings and sculptures have the same nature, expressing the interaction between humans and the universe. Humans do not appear directly, but always exist in the form of energy, movement, vortex, mass, light. From this perspective, his art is not just about creating shapes, but a spiritual journey. From color to empty mass, from canvas to bronze, everything is directed towards the spirit of escaping the “I” to fly into the space of cosmic consciousness”./.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/dau-an-nghe-si-dinh-phong-tren-hanh-trinh-tro-ve-nghe-thuat-1013960