The exhibition invites us into a metaphysical space where life and death intertwine in an eternal cycle. |
In the luxurious setting of Lebadang Memory Space, located on Kim Son hill (Thuy Bang ward, Thuan Hoa district), the exhibition in mid-May was a captivating destination for art lovers in general and painting enthusiasts in particular. On opening day, the drizzling rain after the sweltering early summer heat seemed to melt away fatigue, making way for reflection and contemplation on the artworks displayed in the tunnel inside Lebadang Memory Space.
There, 22 works by Pham Tran Viet Nam – an artist who graduated in sculpture but pursued painting as his primary means of expression in his artistic journey – surprised many. Unlike the quiet and composed demeanor of an artist who has just passed his 40s, these works are haunting, breaking through inner strength with a unique perspective and themes that always prompt reflection.
For Pham Tran Viet Nam, painting and the exhibition "Circle of Life and Death" is a transitional ritual. There, his newly created works are "reborn" by older works, giving rise to new forms. Some liken "Circle of Life and Death" to a metaphysical watchtower. There, Pham Tran Viet Nam himself becomes a witness to the haunting forms and fragments emerging from nothingness and sediment… If the viewer is calm and sensitive enough, they can hear the voices of other realms. And behind that distance, there is not disappearance, but a shimmering infinity. Stopping beside each work, the viewer feels drawn into the ethereal realm it creates. The beauty in the paintings lies not in technique or composition, but in the vibration of the being.
Painting becomes a form of ritual, where color becomes incense smoke, and lines become the sound of prayers for the deceased. Paintings do not describe, do not interpret, but appeal to intuition. This is what Pham Tran Viet Nam calls "super-intuition," a creative state that transcends logic and form, where images are constructed not according to conventional visual rules, but as if summoned from a deep, unconscious stream.
Pham Tran Viet Nam shared that when painting this series, he felt like a sleepwalker. In that state, emotions and energy flowed naturally. The painting process was like interpreting the spirit and language of another being. “Gradually, through continuous work, I began to understand more deeply the spirit and language of the images I created. I empathized with and naturally merged with that other being…,” Pham Tran Viet Nam explained.
Art researcher Ngo Kim Khoi, curator of "The Cycle of Life and Death," says the exhibition invites us into a metaphysical space where life and death intertwine in an eternal cycle. This expert believes that Pham Tran Viet Nam's artistic journey transcends ordinary art, becoming a sacred consciousness where life and death merge. The cycle of life and death is neither a beginning nor an end; each moment of birth opens a new death, and death opens a new cycle.
“Pham Tran Viet Nam is a wanderer between dream and reality, transforming each brushstroke into a prayer for the deceased, an echo of shattered fragments,” commented art critic Ngo Kim Khoi. He cited the exhibition's centerpiece, “The Circle of Life and Death,” as an oil painting over 20 meters long, hung in a closed circle. It is not simply a work of art, but also a symbol of the instantaneous state where life and death merge. Standing before it, viewers not only observe but also deeply feel the fragility of existence and the eternal questions: what is life? what is death?
It is through brushstrokes and colors that Pham Tran Viet Nam listens to and bears witness to the unnamed pains and the chaotic search for meaning in human existence. It is a journey that Ngo Kim Khoi calls a "pilgrimage without a destination," where each person finds enough stillness to feel the vibrations of their being and realize that it is in imperfection that the meaning of existence truly emerges.
Text and photos: NHAT MINH
Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/tieng-vong-cua-nhung-manh-vo-154332.html
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