Nguyen Phan and the somber hues that endure through time.

Writer Son Nam once remarked, "Nguyen Phan has a talent for evocative and subtle art; the more you look at his paintings, the more you appreciate them." This is also what attracts the public to the retrospective exhibition about him, currently on display at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

Admiring the painting "A Glass of Wine in the Mortal World" by the late artist Nguyen Phan - Photo: H.VY

Following its initial stop in Da Nang , the exhibition "Artist Nguyen Phan - Years and Colors of Nostalgia," featuring over 30 oil paintings and valuable documents, is continuing its exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

Architect Phan Truong Son, the late painter's son, called the exhibition a continuation of his father's lifelong journey in search of beauty. The family's preservation of the remaining works after many upheavals is a way of continuing the dialogue with the memory of a deceased artist.

Painting of inner movements

At the exhibition, many colleagues recalled Nguyen Phan as someone who refused to settle in one place, always wanting to break free from the old and seek novelty. Perhaps that's why his paintings, though still, always carry a subtle sense of movement from within.

Viewers have the opportunity to rediscover familiar images from Nguyen Phan's paintings: the hazy shades of blue, the old walls, the boat, the female figure, or the spaces teetering between reality and dream.

The exhibition area isn't very large, but it's enough for viewers to slow down and immerse themselves in the nostalgic colors that span from the 1990s to the final years of the late artist Nguyen Phan's life. - Photo: H.VY

According to curator Nguyen Trong Van, Nguyen Phan's paintings don't create a strong visual impact. He restrains details, simplifies forms, and infuses emotion into color and space. It is this restraint that creates his unique poetic quality.

In the work "Your Footprints" (1991), the footprints on the old, grayish-red stained brick floor are like a haunting reminder of time and memory.

The painting "Fish and Me" (2008) evokes a fragile, surreal feeling with the image of a girl in a white dress holding a blue fish with her fingertips in a vast, cold space.

Meanwhile, the painting "Night in the Port City" reveals a more intense Nguyen Phan, with fragmented patches of purple and red and a sense of urban unease and uncertainty.

From right to left : the painting "Fish and Me," and "Mother Vietnam."

Another distinctive characteristic of Nguyen Phan is the color blue. For him, blue is not just a color but almost a state of mind—ethereal, solitary, yet full of poetry.

The writer Son Nam once remarked, "Nguyen Phan's forte is evocative and subtle art; the more you look at his paintings, the more you appreciate them." That observation is probably true for most of his works.

The paintings don't tell a specific story, nor do they express emotions directly, but the characters' gazes, the muted colors, and the stillness in the composition allow viewers to feel the profound loneliness of the human condition.

From left to right: Audience members discussing the paintings Paradise 1, Moon Hill 2, Vietnam - Photo: H.VY

An artist does not limit themselves.

Born in Hue in 1940 with the real name Phan Ngoc Nam, Nguyen Phan graduated from the Hue College of Fine Arts. In 1965, he received a silver medal at the International Art Exhibition in Rome with his work "Peaceful Moon" .

But instead of choosing a fixed path, he constantly shifted between painting, sculpture, architecture, and landscape planning. Regardless of the field, his work maintained a consistent spirit: quietly seeking the beauty of humanity amidst the anxieties, loneliness, and vicissitudes of life.

Artist Than Trong Dung believes that what is admirable about Nguyen Phan is that he not only succeeded with oil paintings but also showed great skill in sculpture and large-scale monumental works.

Meanwhile, painter Nguyen Thuong Hy remembers Nguyen Phan as someone who always thought of new things and maintained his creative passion until the end of his life.

Architect Phan Truong Son at the exhibition. This was also an occasion for the family to launch the book "Painter Nguyen Phan - Years and Colors of Nostalgia" as a way to commemorate the late artist - Photo: H.VY

Another interesting point is that, despite its nostalgic nature, the atmosphere is quite close to the spirit of contemporary art. Viewers take photos of the small details in the paintings, sit for a long time in front of the nostalgic color palettes, or spend time reading the artist's notes.

In it, Nguyen Phan once wrote: "Painting is like my breath, my flesh and blood, something I can never be without." He also refused to confine himself to a fixed style, because, according to him, art needs freedom, like "a whimsical escape from nothingness."

Perhaps it is that spirit of freedom that allows his paintings to still touch the emotions of viewers after so many years.

The exhibition "Artist Nguyen Phan - Years and Colors of Nostalgia" will run until May 31st at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts before continuing to Hue (tentatively) in September.

Architect Phan Truong Son (center) and the artists at the exhibition - Photo: H.VY

Enjoy the work "Past and Present"

In addition to paintings, the exhibition displays some documents about the works of artist Nguyen Phan.

H.VY

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguyen-phan-va-nhung-gam-mau-co-tich-di-qua-thoi-gian-20260526171004563.htm