Authentic and magical beauty in the exhibition 'Road to the Clouds'

Lacquer painting exhibition Duong len may by artist Loan Phuong takes place from October 16 to 22 at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association.

The Road to the Clouds introduces more than 30 selected works by artist Loan Phuong, created from 2021 to present. Loan Phuong's paintings sometimes have a style reminiscent of Nguyen Gia Tri, in some compositions they have the appearance of Gauguin, or in the way the background of the paintings is gilded in gold, sometimes they have the style of Klimt. With traditional lacquer materials, combining sophisticated techniques and modern inspiration, this series of paintings is both a memorial for the father and a gratitude for life.

"Painting for me is like opening a window where I can breathe the freedom of the forests and give it back to the viewers," artist Loan Phuong shared.

Photo: NVCC

Painter Loan Phuong: "Painting saved me"

In the colorful world of artist Loan Phuong, personal pain blends with the common human desire: to fly, to escape and find freedom in beauty. Loan Phuong confided: "Painting and The Road to the Clouds have saved me. I feel like I can run with the deer in the forest, sing with the birds in the sky, and live in nature even when the city outside is still silent."

"For me, lacquer is not just a material, but a memory, a sediment of time. Each stroke of polishing to remove the shape, each layer of lipstick, each piece of gold and silver is like an engraving on the soul, both painful and sparkling. I paint to remember my father, to hold on to lost moments, and also to remind myself that beauty only truly lives when we courageously step through sadness. I do not seek perfection in my paintings, but to find a breath. There is the fragility of the flower petals, the innocence of a small animal, and the inner turmoil of a woman. Painting for me is like opening a window, where I can breathe freedom and give it back to the viewer," artist Loan Phuong shared.

Viewers encounter in Loan Phuong's paintings not only the personal story of an artist, but also the common aspiration of every human being when they encounter difficulties, wanting to overcome rapids, breathe fresh air or immerse themselves in a vast world.

The work Breaking Dawn

Photo: NVCC

Swan Lake

Photo: NVCC

Pink Grass Hill

Photo: NVCC

Twilight

Photo: NVCC

"Lacquer is a material of 'hide and seek'. The artist must bury gold, hide silver, inlay eggshells upside down, grind them away, grind them away, then cover them up again, to finally polish them to reveal shimmering layers of light and dark. It is the technique of grinding broken lines, using mache, creating surface textures... that gives lacquer paintings a special magical and luxurious look. Although the traditional color palette seems limited - vermilion, red, then, eggshell, gold, silver - it is this restraint that creates its own style: noble, nostalgic, shy, imbued with the spirit of the East. And female artist Loan Phuong has succeeded in doing what seemed very difficult to do, to have a very strange and unique 'path to the clouds'", curator - artist Phan Trong Van acknowledged.

Artist Loan Phuong (Nguyen Thi Loan Phuong) was born in 1987, is a member of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. In 2015, she graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts (Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts) and is currently a master's student, teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. She has won many regional and Ho Chi Minh City fine arts awards.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ve-dep-chan-thuc-va-huyen-ao-trong-trien-lam-duong-len-may-185251016135324608.htm