The first time I met Pham Dinh Tien was when he went to Hanoi for a business trip combined with... chasing idols. Tien gave me many contrasting impressions: on the one hand, he was very young, comfortable, and humorous, on the other hand, he seemed older than his age, even looking a bit pensive. Who said Tien was the youngest of the artists participating in the 10th anniversary exhibition of Art In The Forest but had so many... wrinkles: crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and a deep, clearly visible line in the middle of his forehead. Therefore, although he smiled brightly, perhaps Tien was more serious than the hihi haha look he often showed on the outside.
The work he brought to the exhibition this time has a rather eccentric name: “Ok Friend”. It is a 4.5 meter tall, long and lanky bronze statue, strangely shaped like a “tree man” with twisted legs, wearing honeycomb sandals and a hand with its fingers curled to form the “Ok” symbol. The bronze patina color on the statue seems to blend with the forest, Tien said, and the color of the statue will continue to change, as if it were a living creature, breathing the same rhythm as the forest.
While we were chatting, a group of tourists approached the statue, laughing and chatting and asked Tien to take a souvenir photo for them. It seemed that they were also curious and interested in this work of art that looked both familiar and strange.
Portrait of sculptor Pham Dinh Tien. Photo: NVCC
Can you share a little about the work you brought to the Art In The Forest 2025 exhibition?
“Ok Friend” is currently the largest bronze work I have ever made. Because the statue is large and cast in metal, it was a bit of a challenge. I first sketched on the computer, then molded it in clay to combine the two skills I have.
I was inspired by the image of a tree – or someone pretending to be a tree. It’s a bit familiar, a bit strange, looks funny, but if you look closely, it’s also a bit… divine. It reminds me of my friends who wear flip-flops, are always cheerful, work sloppily, everything is fine when asked, and always have a strong belief in luck. The existential problems of modern life all disappear when I’m with such friends.
In this work, the audience meets a very witty, cheerful, gentle style very "Pham Dinh Tien". Is this a "signature" that you want the audience to remember about you? Is it similar to your personality in real life?
Maybe because I usually like funny things and tell jokes, it affects my work a little. I don’t pay much attention to “signature”, but I think that each work leaves a mark, no matter how it changes, someone can still recognize it. If the viewer remembers me for my cheerful, witty style, I like it very much.
The unique humor and joy are easily recognized in Pham Dinh Tien's works. Photo: Flamingo
As the youngest artist participating in this year's exhibition, how do you feel standing on the same stage with famous seniors in the field of sculpture in Vietnam?
I feel very, very proud. As a student, I knew you and your teachers through the press and admired you all. Being present at the same exhibition makes me feel both lucky and pressured.
Being present at the 10th anniversary of AIF is an important milestone for me personally because I have longed for a large work in a truly public space. The work at AIF this time is like a dream come true: to see, to touch, to understand and to gain more experience for the long journey ahead.
What do you think about the role and generational awareness of young artists in continuing and renewing Vietnamese contemporary art?
It is difficult to make a general assessment of an entire generation. The role of young artists in continuing Vietnamese contemporary art is undeniable, but this continuation still has many problems. The young generation was born in a period of social change, which can be said to be a transitional period from systematic discipline to decentralized freedom.
Each young artist learns and creates his own working environment. Some are experimental, some are technical, some are emotional – so there is hardly a mainstream trend. It is like a large-scale laboratory. Whether the experiment is successful or not depends largely on one’s own ability, access to financial resources and a suitable working environment.
For me, living in harmony with the environment around me is a material to create something new. Working every day with a happy spirit, being honest with the job will help me calm my mind, understand more about the art and techniques that are suitable for me.
Youth is often associated with freedom, experimentation and sometimes recklessness. Do you find these qualities reflected in the way you compose and construct your work?
Freedom is one of the elements I value most in my creation. Sometimes I think too freely but my technique and knowledge cannot keep up, so I become… reckless. That said, I like the freedom to create with sufficient knowledge and experience, like drifting clouds and flowing water, without having to be reckless.
When people look at your work, do you hope they will smile, feel a sense of curiosity, or have some other thought?
It is great fun when the audience smiles, and even better when they think about it. No matter how beautiful a statue is, if it does not affect the viewer's emotions and thoughts, it is difficult to be happy. My works often linger on subconscious thoughts, expressed through the shape of sudden emotions, it is not really as clear as the words of a prose. The best way to express it is the work that the audience sees directly.
A corner of the Flamingo Museum of Contemporary Art. Photo: Flamingo
Your work will be on display at the Art In The Forest 2025 exhibition, on the premises of the Flamingo Museum of Contemporary Art. In your opinion, what does a “long-term” art program like AIF mean to the development of sculpture in Vietnam?
For me, for sculpture to develop, the following main factors are needed: competent artists, knowledgeable organizers who respect art and its nature, proper exhibition space, guaranteed financial resources and an art-loving public. In Vietnam, these factors rarely come together at the same time.
Art In The Forest is the first and currently only program that I have seen that has all the necessary elements above. For me, AIF is an ideal model for the development of sculpture in Vietnam. 10 years ago when AIF was first launched, I was really surprised by the way it was organized as well as the quality of the works. I feel very happy because this is an important milestone in the history of the development of contemporary Vietnamese sculpture. This is truly a ray of hope for the country's sculpture, because in the world there is no powerful art that lacks the presence of a sponsor.
Thanks for sharing! Wish you more and more success in your career!
Art In The Forest (AIF) is a visual art program initiated by Flamingo Holdings in 2015 with the desire to bring art out of traditional exhibition spaces, to blend with nature and get closer to the public. The project has been honored many times by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the Top 5 typical national art events, and has also contributed to Flamingo Dai Lai Resort being recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as "The resort with the largest lakeside art space in Vietnam."
In 2020, AIF entered a new phase, the Flamingo Contemporary Art Museum (FCAM) - the first contemporary art museum in Vietnam was launched, gathering more than 120 works of many genres. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the journey (2015 - 2025), on November 29, FCAM will organize a special exhibition, introducing a new collection of 8 large sculptures by 8 representative artists, continuing to affirm the pioneering role of Flamingo Holdings in developing contemporary art in Vietnam.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/pham-dinh-tien-gioo-nu-cuoi-qua-dieu-khac-post1797932.tpo
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