The multimedia art exhibition “Ontology” by artist PSI (Pham Ha Phuong) brings together 21 portraits of women from Vietnam and Italy, prominent in many different professions. The exhibition is organized by the Italian Embassy in Hanoi in collaboration with Bat Trang Museum.
Ontology brings together 21 portraits of outstanding women from many different professions, with many contributions to society and representing many generations of women in Vietnam and Italy.
The exhibition features other inspirational women such as social activist Helly Tong, inspirational Thao Nhi Le, singer GiGi Huong Giang, MC Thuy Minh, singer Le Cat Trong Ly, People's Artist Le Khanh, actress Kaity Nguyen... as well as searching for their own identity.
Kaity Nguyen's identity
In the exhibition space arranged in many layers with the combination of light, projection technology with fabric, mirror and stainless steel, viewers can admire unique works of art by artist PSI. She is known as a makeup artist with a love and passion for art. “Being” is considered the first art exhibition of a makeup artist in Vietnam.
The Being of Helly Tong through the Creative Talent of Artist PSI
Artist PSI shared that she and her colleagues worked together on the exhibition for 3 months, but she had been nurturing the idea for the exhibition for 3 years.
“It is the women around me, the closest ones like my mother, grandmother, singers, actors, businesswomen... those I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with during my 15 years in the profession who have brought me creative inspiration to create this exhibition. Each person has their own story but they all meet in spreading positive inspiration to society,” female artist PSI shared.
The plaster work can be easily recognized as the essence of People's Artist Le Khanh.
To create the works for the exhibition project "Being", PSI artists used the technique of life-casting (creating three-dimensional copies of living human bodies, through the use of molding techniques).
21 characters were directly molded, then created into works with different materials such as plaster, ceramic, lacquer... Each portrait, the essence of a woman is expressed in a different way by the artist. For some, the artist describes the essence through the face, for others through the chest, for others through the back, for others through a leg, for others through the hands...
"Being" brings together 21 portraits of outstanding women from Vietnam and Italy from many different professions.
Model Trang Pham's essence is a pair of ceramic feet.
Most of all, the faces. Some of the artworks on display at this exhibition also recall the famous Venetian masks of Italy, which are elaborately handcrafted from plaster, leather, papier-mâché using traditional techniques...
Not only can the works be viewed in the traditional direct form, but the public can also discover the works in a very new way by looking at the reflections from the mirrors that are deliberately arranged. It seems to be a metaphor that invites people to search for different and different selves in each person that we think we are familiar and know about them.
The artworks at this exhibition are reminiscent of Italy's famous Venetian masks, which are intricately handcrafted using plaster, leather, papier-mâché, etc. using traditional techniques.
Along with the displayed works, the work information board has a QR code for viewers to go to the link, read the stories and confidences of the characters.
The exhibition “Being” is open to the public until May 7, 2023 at Casa Italia - Italian Culture and Brand Center, 18 Le Phung Hieu, Trang Tien, Hanoi.
Some pictures at the exhibition "Being":
Creative Director Ha Do's body is made from Bat Trang ceramic.
The term for these works is Life-casting, which is the process of creating a three-dimensional copy of a living human body, through the use of molding & casting techniques to create the shape, often used in movies.
Dutch businessman Anh with chrome-plated plastic material
The body of Mrs. Mai Thi Tuyet Nhung (housewife) is two arms made of wood.
MC Thuy Minh's identity
The identity of businesswoman Nguyen Thi Nhung
Artist Nan with plaster material
Exhibition space
Visitors to the exhibition
