Exhibition “Nocturne”

10 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sun, 24 Oct – 10 Nov 2024
Gate Gate Gallery
55 Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội

From the organizer:

This special exhibition celebrates fifty years of painting by Dang Duong Bang and marks his first show in his hometown of Hanoi, after nearly four decades of living and working in Europe.

For 35 years away from his homeland, Dang kept a nightly ritual of painting, using art as an intimate dialogue with himself. Through his work, he transforms pain into healing, expresses desires, and renews peaceful energy. Under the mesmerizing light of the Northern Lights in the Arctic, his sleepless nights of creation transported him back to childhood memories by the lotus lakes of Hanoi—where the city appeared as graceful as a muse, and its streets, delicate and charming, evoked the spirit of Bùi Xuân Phái’s paintings.

While he began his artistic career in 1974 as a member of the Hanoi Fine Arts Association, Dang Duong Bang’s artistic journey took flight when he moved to Europe (living in Leiden, the Netherlands from 1990, and Copenhagen, Denmark from 1999). Trained by masters such as Nguyễn Tiến Chung, Phạm Viết Song, and Nguyễn Đức Nùng, Bằng’s work carries the romantic classicism of the Indochina art movement, fused with his own distinct style, characterized by bold brushwork, a modern color palette, and innovative use of materials.

“Nocturne” is Bang’s tribute to Hanoi—a place that has lived in his heart, his dreams, and every brushstroke of his sleepless nights. Inspired by the mood of magical night melodies, the 37 works on display in “Nocturne” (2024) were selected from his output between 2020 and 2024. They evoke the stillness of moonlit nights, the sound of dragonflies in flight, and musical refrains that call us back to childhood or stir memories of loved ones.

“Nocturne” is co-organized by Ginger Gallery, the artist’s representative, and Gate Gate Gallery, the exhibition organizer.