Exhibition “1×2″

Opening: 04 pm, Sat, 12 Oct 2024
Exhibition: 10 am – 07 pm, 12 – 27 Oct 2024
22 Gallery
22 Phạm Cự Lượng, Ward 2, Tân Bình district, HCMC
Artist meet & greet: 10 am – 11 am, 13 & 19 Oct 2024

From the organizer:

If there is one, there will be two. If there are two, there will be all things.
And things are always evolving, nothing is absolute.

The 1 x 2 painting exhibition originated from reflections on the principle of the universal dualism and relativity as presented in the Book of Y Ching and deeply rooted in Asian thoughts and culture.

This is Nguyen Ngoc Tuan’s first exhibition, after more than 10 years of passionate selfexploration of painting. He is a self-taught painter, a “painting practitioner” in his words. Painting is for him an inevitable path after years of studying literature and translationinterpretation in France and working in the field of cultural exchange between France and Vietnam.

Along his journey of creative exploration, he has not hesitated to experiment on various materials and blend painting styles depending on moments of inspiration and ideas. The 1×2 Painting Exhibition is an attempt to reconnect with Asian thoughts, painting and calligraphy, through abstract and semi-abstract works with ink, gouache on paper and mixed media. Some traditional paper materials such as do, cay, or phoi sac (*) are also used in a subtle way to bring singular artistic aspects to the paintings.

The elements of WATER and FIRE as well as yin and yang and the interaction of light and shadow are revealed throughout the collection, from the subject to the form and color expressions. LOTUS, SHADOW, FIGURE series include works that are more linked to WATER. The black and white colors, with ink painting on paper as a tribute to the Asian tradition of ink painting, make up the majority of the body of works in this part. The palette then shifts, gradually from BLOOMING to GOLD and STRAW series, from monochromatic to polychromatic one, featuring the warm hues of the FIRE element on mixed media.

The exhibition begins with LOTUS, a familiar theme in Vietnamese painting. However, the painter’s personal approach is revealed in reconnection with Asian arts. Lotuses dance in a multiform and improvisational manner, as if nature is filling the lake surface with scripts, here in neat, quiet strokes and there in energetic, cursive forms (**).

The visit continues with SHADOW, reflections on water expressed in a semi-abstract manner, evoking enchanting swirls of endless movement.

Next, the viewer can “read” the “scripts” in the FIGURE series, where the central work features a set of paper drawings on both recto and verso, yin and yang sides: human bodies hanging in diverse postures – falling, jumping, standing, sitting, etc. – transposed into scripts, just like ancient people created the hieroglyphs.

The BLOOMING series takes on a different form, no longer in the calligraphic style: square frames of large-format paper, where the subject in a circular form develops from the center of the painting or is scattered across its surface. Bomb explosions and volcano eruptions resemble blooming flowers from certain angles. The same form encompasses both creation and destruction, life and death, ideas of contradictory meanings!

GOLD marks the beginning of mixed media in the exhibition. This is also the first time the artist has experimented with this creative technique. A special place is dedicated to the video “REMEMBRANCE”, a collaborative work combining the artist’s ideas with the impressive visual creation of director Tung Phan, set to a minimalist yet profound piano composition by Helly Tong. This piece engages in dialogue with the paintings hanging around, featuring collage of votive papers, ash and acrylic. The scene of the flames dancing and each piece of votive paper being licked, twisted, and then annihilated into ash, along with each note falling evenly in an improvised and hypnotic way, ignites thoughts about life and death, the self of today and tomorrow. The golden votive papers serve as mirrors reflecting our deep thoughts and fears, and incite thoughts about the infinite transformation of things.

In the same vein, STRAW series incorporates real straw, which farmers typically burn after each harvest season, giving it a new lifecycle in artistic creation. The scene of the burning field, with areas of gray and black ash interspersed with half-burnt golden straw stalks, reveals an aesthetic vision that transcends the usual concept of straw’s functionality. This straw will then continue to evolve into a new lifecycle or fall off after an ephemeral existence.

Whether it is LOTUS, SHADOW, FIGURE, BLOOMING, GOLD, or STRAW, all the works represent profound thoughts and evocations of the transformative states of CreationDestruction, Life-Death, Movement-Static, Beginning-Ending, Rise-Decay… Viewers will discover multiple layers of meaning depending on their own perception!

To help better understand the artworks at the exhibition, 2 meet & greet sessions will be held with the artist from 10 am to 11 am on October 13 & 19, 2024.

(*) Different types of traditional Vietnamese paper made of tree bark.

(**) Cursive script is a style in Chinese calligraphy, characterized by free and dynamic forms.

Director Tung Phan

With 15 years of experience in the fields of art, creativity, and media as a director and producer, Tung Phan is well known for creating numerous advertisement videos for major brands and famous music videos that attract millions of viewers.

As Art Director at the Lavelle Library, he has organised successful exhibitions featuring painters from the former College of Fine Arts of Indochina, contemporary artists, and various other artistic activities.

He has traveled to more than 40 countries around the world, capturing beautifully inspiring images and videos of nature and people. These experiences have nurtured the originality of his creative works always imbued with cultural substance and unique perspectives that resonate with people’s hearts.

Helly Tong
When talking about Helly Tong, people immediately think of her as a muse, a fashionista, a community activist, or a stylish, beautiful, and intelligent young businesswoman. Few know that she is also an experimental composer of minimalist music.

Her music may sound simplistic, regular, or even repetitive; however, it arises from skilful demonstration of piano techniques that vary the dynamic range, notes, and chords, immersing listeners in an endless chain of regular, rhythmic, and profound melodies.

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