Meet a very different Tran Trung Linh from 'Color and Emptiness'

Gặp một Trần Trung Lĩnh rất khác với 'Sắc và Không' - Ảnh 1. — Quietly contemplating the "diagram of life" in the open space of 'Color and Emptiness' - Photo: H.VY

Displaying 20 large-scale paintings from now until June 8 at Chillala - House of Art (75 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City), the exhibition Color and Emptiness brings a highly personal visual experience, also a journey to find himself of Tran Trung Linh.

Passing through two floors of exhibition, the audience is led on a magical journey from Color to Emptiness , from chaos of colors to quiet black and white, from the visible gradually dissolving into nothingness, from birth to infinity… And when the colors disappear, the viewer is faced with silence.

The interesting thing is that in those quiet moments, inspired by Tran Trung Linh's very own experiences, each viewer can find somewhere pieces of inner emotions, reflections, or their own ego.

Everything is presented in a very deliberate and detailed way, from the first sketch to the final viewing experience, perhaps because Tran Trung Linh is also the director.

Clearly understanding what he wants, arranging everything meticulously and neatly to best tell his story, that must be the special attraction that makes each exhibition of this versatile artist always attract a large number of art lovers.

Trần Trung Lĩnh - Ảnh 2. — The exhibition "Color and Emptiness" attracts the public to enjoy

From 'Creative Solitude' to 'Form and Emptiness'

* Having left your mark with the vibrant colors of 'Post-Impressionism - Van Gogh in Saigon' and 'Pop Art - HaHaHa', why did you completely switch to expression with 'Color and Emptiness'?

- People often know Linh through Pop Art paintings, but since graduating, my path in painting has been expressionist. It's like planting a tree, one day seeing the fruit ripen.

I consider Pop Art as a walk, while Tran Trung Linh's nature is still expressionist and abstract expressionist paintings. So 'Color and Emptiness' is a very natural return, according to my plan.

* So when the fruit is ripe, what's special about 'Form and Emptiness' this time?

- This series of paintings is very personal. There are many artists who paint about social issues, thorny things outside. I used to do the same, but this time I paint from personal stories.

I bring out the realities in my own mind, share very personal issues with my own perspective. Who doesn't look back at themselves at times and hope to receive sympathy?

I spent two years trying to get rid of old drawing habits, old ways of thinking, and stay away from negative things. All day long, I just hung around my family and my studio, drawing and trying to live a little differently, focusing on work, not letting my mind wander to unnecessary places.

At first, Linh intended to paint about the loneliness of the creator, but the more lonely he was, the more he found himself. One day, he suddenly realized that what he was doing was similar to the Buddhist "Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form", so he used that philosophy to name this series of paintings.

Trần Trung Lĩnh - Ảnh 3. — The first floor of the exhibition is full of large-scale paintings with vivid colors - Photo: H.VY

* How do you express such a Zen philosophy?

- The initial paintings are full of life and "color". There are us, human beings full of vitality struggling in life, tied together by tangible strings, struggling in ignorance to find wisdom.

The vibrant colors are piled on top of each other, then erased with black and white, from movement back to stillness, from color back to nothingness .

I repeat this process many times, implying that I am reminding myself of the new turning point in my painting philosophy. That repetition, Linh considers as his own way of meditation.

Trần Trung Lĩnh - Ảnh 4. — The second floor is a quiet space of black and white, but below is still full of colorful thoughts - Photo: H.VY

Just live gently, then there will be peace

* You always work according to plan, but during the creative process, are there any moments that go beyond your strict calculations?

- Close associates will know that the sketches for this series are almost exactly like the final version. But when creating the paintings, the main source of beauty is still personal emotion.

Because emotions, whether erratic, intense or boring, past or present… are all the best ingredients for creativity. And humans cannot go beyond their ego.

Even in empty paintings, there is still color underneath. In the quiet spaces, there is still abundant brushwork and thoughts. In each painting, I am struggling with myself, reducing the violence so that my mind can gradually become calm.

Trần Trung Lĩnh - Ảnh 5. — Tran Trung Linh in front of his favorite painting at the "Color" space - Photo: H.VY

* During the process of composing 'Color and Emptiness', what was your favorite thing?

Every time I paint a series of paintings, I often find a new way of painting and feel happy: "Oh, this technique suits me". But the best thing this time is that my wife and everyone else see that I have become a "very different" Tran Trung Linh. No longer the fiery rocker like before, but immersed in classical music all day long, gentle and mellow. (laughs)

I think everyone gets to that point, it's not always burning brightly. In middle age, artistic passion burns not on the surface but deep inside.

Sometimes I have to push myself into a calm state of mind, to find something simple. That is the hardest! And when I do it, it is like meditating. Every movement, time, observation… is compressed to finally say " No" . That is what I keep in mind.

Trần Trung Lĩnh - Ảnh 6. — Tran Trung Linh's quiet moment in the "No" space

* So with 'Color and Emptiness', what do you want to share with the art-loving public?

- With this series of paintings, Linh just wants to send a few simple messages. We are too hasty! Life is like a bell, if you strike it too hard, the echo will be deafening.

Life is complicated enough, whether you go to see a painting or in daily life, just treat it gently and the "gentleness" in your mind will echo back in an extremely peaceful way!