VI
Taking place at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association from June 3rd to 8th, "Connecting One Thread" is the third exhibition by the Gap Doi group, and also concludes the "One Thread" series that has lasted for three years.
From a reunion of art school friends to artistic practices that are increasingly shaping their own identities, this exhibition is an opportunity for artists to reflect on their journey so far before embarking on new explorations.
The bonds of memory and culture
Among the artists participating in the exhibition, Tran Ngoc Nhat (Nghieu Thien) shows the most significant change in his style of expression. While in previous exhibitions he mainly worked with oil pastels, this time the entire creative space is dedicated to the "Umbrella" collection.
The 12 parasols, inspired by the twelve zodiac animals, were created by artist Tran Ngoc Nhat.
On the acrylic-painted canopies, the twelve zodiac animals appear alongside familiar creatures such as fish, crabs, and butterflies.
Instead of the traditional flat canvas surface, the artist places the image on the round, flared surface of the parasol – an object deeply rooted in East Asian life and culture. This very structure creates a sense of enclosure, suggesting an invisible thread connecting people to memories, familiar cultural values, and the changes of contemporary life.
For Tran Ngoc Nhat, "The Canopy" is not simply a new series of works, but also a point of intersection between painting, crafts, and personal experience after many years of searching for his own language of expression.
Crab claws
Butterfly parasol and goldfish parasol
In To Bao An's paintings, memories emerge through images that are both familiar and symbolic. Against a dark backdrop, horses of varying sizes and postures appear alongside toy wooden horses. The layered use of color, interwoven with warm and cool tones, makes the images seem to float between reality and memory.
The work evokes feelings of childhood memories, stories preserved through generations, and cultural values that are still subtly present in life today.
Through the expressive language of painting, the artist creates a dialogue between personal experience and collective memory, between the past and the ever-changing present.
The interplay of warm and cool colors against a dark background gives To Bao An's artwork a sense of floating between reality and memory.
Meanwhile, Tran Phuong Thuy An presents a series of eight small-format works inspired by Catholic church architecture. Created using a weaving technique and a combination of colors, each piece captures the emotions evoked by the beauty of domes, bell towers, and structures that have become part of the visual memory of many generations.
This isn't a story about faith, but about appreciating architecture and cultural heritage.
Individual "connections"
Beyond its connections to memory and culture, the exhibition also opens up worlds deeply marked by personal experiences.
Quế Hương (A Kumquat) presents a series of paintings titled "Cat Memories," inspired by the cats that have accompanied her through various stages of her life. From Mon and Rế to Mi and Lem, each character is associated with a specific period of time, becoming the artist's way of preserving happy memories and sharing them with viewers.
In another approach, Vu Duy Hoang uses gouache to construct surreal spaces that lie between reality and dreams. The images in his paintings do not have fixed meanings but are constantly changing, opening up different ways of perceiving them.
For the author, each work is like a door that allows viewers to freely step inside and find their own interpretations.
The images in Vu Duy Hoang's paintings do not have fixed meanings but are constantly changing, opening up different ways of perceiving them.
Among the exhibitors, Tran Tuan Anh was the only one who did not offer an introduction or speech about his works. He chose to let the creations speak for themselves, as a way of engaging in a direct dialogue with the viewers.
In the works presented at the exhibition, familiar vases and plants appear in a vibrant color palette with richly decorative treatments. Contrasting colors, soft lines, and repeating details create a feeling that is both intimate and ethereal, like memories recreated through the lens of emotion rather than reality.
Tran Tuan Anh's work opens up many spaces for interpretation, where viewers can find their own associations and feelings.
Concluding a three-year journey, "Forging a Bond" is more than just a gathering of new works. The exhibition also marks a period of maturity for the Doubling Group, where connections once found and nurtured now become the foundation for each artist to continue pursuing their own path.
