Nguyen Nhu Duc and the journey of 'bringing mother back to motherland'

Nguyễn Như Đức - Ảnh 1. — Painter Nguyen Nhu Duc at the exhibition Motherland - Photo: T.DIEU

Motherland has just opened at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi ), friends are all happy for the painter who loves to paint, wanders to paint, finally has his first solo exhibition at the age of 45.

The more than 30 oil paintings in the exhibition are mostly large-sized, densely detailed and meticulously painted, during the 11 years Nguyen Nhu Duc lived in Hoi An with his mother, wife and children. And no matter what he painted, his mother's shadow was always faintly present in it.

Nguyễn Như Đức - Ảnh 2. — Nguyen Nhu Duc's surrealist paintings captivate viewers - Photo: T.DIEU

Nguyen Nhu Duc draws things 'close to his heart'

Nguyen Nhu Duc pursues the Surrealist school, quite close to the classics but still fresh in its absurd arrangements.

He said he has painted this series of paintings for a long time, but only now is he holding his first solo exhibition because he believes that a solo exhibition is a milestone marking an artist's work process, and must be truly meticulous.

So Nguyen Nhu Duc waited until he felt most satisfied and happiest with the paintings before introducing them to everyone.

Being greatly influenced by his mother and loving her, he wanted to convey that love into his works.

After 11 years of painting in Hoi An, Nguyen Nhu Duc only painted the life around him, the things that were close to him. His mother, his wife, his daughter, and the land that nurtured him. He said those were the things closest to his heart, so he painted them with great pleasure.

But the subject is just an excuse for him to be creative in the materials and writing style he loves.

Nguyễn Như Đức - Ảnh 3. — Painter Nguyen Nhu Duc accepts many different jobs to keep his love of painting pure and complete - Photo: NVCC

Painting is forever faith

In this series of paintings by Nguyen Nhu Duc, there are "codes" that come back again and again, which are hands, beautiful nature, moonlight, women. There are many arms in the paintings.

He considers his paintings to be full of femininity, just like himself. He likes softness, gentleness, romance, things that nurture the world , like mother earth.

As for the hands that are everywhere in his paintings, it is because to Nguyen Nhu Duc, hands are the symbol of love that nourishes this world.

When there was no language, hands were the means of expressing emotions, of protecting, of sheltering, of loving. Hands were the emotions that were primitive, raw, and pure.

Admitting that his paintings are not easy to sell, while many of them take years to paint, Nguyen Nhu Duc still wants to fully pursue his pure love for painting.

He accepted to do many different jobs, from jobs related to painting to unrelated jobs such as being a chef, opening a restaurant... to nurture his passion.

He wants his love for painting to be the purest, so that painting will always be his faith, a place for him to open his heart to everyone.

After the exhibition in Hanoi, Motherland continues to be brought by SiLart Station to Ho Chi Minh City to be displayed at Chillala - House of Art from August 1.