A unique visual perspective in 'Different Selves'

By repeating the unique "eye" motif, artist Phuong Luong's work in *Unusual Selves* is transformed into organic structures, like semi-abstract, semi-figurative, expressive beings floating in a hazy space.

Lát cắt thị giác độc đáo ở 'Những cái tôi khác lạ'- Ảnh 1. — The exhibition *"Different Selves"* runs until August 26th at Maii Art Space Gallery - 72/7 Tran Quoc Toan Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Lát cắt thị giác độc đáo ở 'Những cái tôi khác lạ'- Ảnh 2. — Sometimes, eyes cease to be simply for seeing, becoming symbols of insecurity, of a fragmented presence, of a being constantly scrutinized in silence...

"In calculated minimalism, the female artist evokes a contradictory inner space: solitary yet crowded, silent yet haunting, familiar yet strange, symbolic yet surreal. The series of paintings doesn't tell a specific story, but opens up a series of questions: who is watching whom? Are we observing or being observed? Are we witnesses or invisible?... Phuong Luong divides the surface of the paintings into geometric shapes, like surveillance frames, fragmented comic strips, doorways where shattered memories leak... Sometimes the eye is confined within a blazing red frame, sometimes it drifts aimlessly on the edge, as if trapped between the right to see and the fear of being seen," artist Phan Trong Van commented.

These unique selves help each person find their own definition of self.

"Different Selves," with 35 selected works including 34 paintings and 1 installation, is the artist's sharing with the viewer, acting as both an experiencer and an observer, about the existential journey that each solitary individual must undertake.

Lát cắt thị giác độc đáo ở 'Những cái tôi khác lạ'- Ảnh 3. — Artist Phuong Luong was born in 1992.

Lát cắt thị giác độc đáo ở 'Những cái tôi khác lạ'- Ảnh 4. — *These unusual personas* are interesting to viewers.

The recurring theme throughout each work is the solitary individual, physically isolated and psychologically lonely, lost, and alienated. Lonely to the point of distortion. Lonely to the point of invisibility. Lonely to the point of no longer knowing what loneliness is.

Therefore, the exhibition offers a unique visual perspective. The paintings by artist Phuong Luong evoke a sense of self-awareness in many viewers – perhaps a bewildered gaze at life, or life staring back at them. The "eyes" in the paintings are no longer simply organs for seeing and observing, but become symbols of existence and the anxieties of self. They don't look out at the world , but rather seem to be searching for themselves in the blind spots of memory, within invisible boundaries.

Lát cắt thị giác độc đáo ở 'Những cái tôi khác lạ'- Ảnh 5. — Sometimes, that gaze is as gentle as a whisper; other times, it is cold and emotionless...

"When viewing my paintings, people can find themselves in any of the figures, any 'self' in the artwork. That 'self' experiences scrutiny, examination, investigation, doubt, envy, challenge, jealousy, rejection, isolation, alienation, separation… from other 'selves.' I want to say that, whether your journey is long or short, be a true self. In that so-called 'self,' loneliness is an essential and human attribute. It helps each person find their own definition of themselves," the female artist shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lat-cat-thi-giac-doc-dao-o-nhung-cai-toi-khac-la-185250817162020821.htm