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Taking place at CHILLALA House of Art, Ho Chi Minh City until May 31, 2026, and open to the public free of charge, "The Keeper of Time - Ancient Times" is a quiet yet powerful gathering where time does not pass, but is preserved in art.
The exhibition brings together 12 artists in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and even nearing a century of age. They come from diverse creative backgrounds, working with various materials, but share one common point: dedicating their lives to art.
Exhibition space "The Keeper of Time - Ancient Times"
In the introduction by artist Uyen Huy, "love and art have no age." Even as time dims eyesight and fades memory, the creativity of these artists never ceases. Creation is no longer about observing with the physical eye, but rather the sublimation of memory, intuition, and the depth of inner feelings accumulated over the years.
Each work in the exhibition is a trace of time – where the artist preserves life through color, form, and material.
A space where materials and memories meet.
Stepping into the exhibition "The Keeper of Time - Ancient Times," viewers encounter a space where many artistic languages coexist: silk, oil paint, lacquer, acrylic, ceramics, reliefs… Each artist brings their own rhythm, but when placed together, the works form a seamless encounter between materials, memories, and life experiences.
There you'll find vibrant and bright colors in Uyên Huy's series of paintings; delicate young women in Tạ Kim Dung's silk paintings; the serene atmosphere in Nguyễn Thanh Bình's oil paintings; and the dynamic movements characteristic of the Mekong Delta in Ca Lê Thắng's "Flood Season" series.
The relief sculptures of Phung Chi Thu, the ceramics of Le Ba Linh, and the series of paintings "Consciousness" by Le Trieu Dien also add different nuances, enriching the exhibition space.
Time in the exhibition does not exist as a concept, but permeates the structure of the works, in each layer of color, each surface, each trace remaining on the material.
In the exhibition, each medium—silk, oil paint, lacquer, acrylic, ceramics, relief—tells its own story about time and memory.
A dialogue of works
Within the exhibition space, the collection of works by artist Le Trieu Dien creates a prominent focal point in the center.
The two ceramic works, "Memories of the River" and "Echoes," are displayed as an open visual installation. Ceramic artifacts hanging on silvery-white driftwood evoke the feeling of echoes of time preserved within the objects. Below, ceramic boats placed on tranquil wooden surfaces open up associations with memories, journeys, and past events.
The work "Memories of the River"
The artwork "Echoes" by artist Le Trieu Dien
In addition, Le Trieu Dien also introduced the works "Traces" in ceramics, "East-West Dialogue", "Saigon Memories" which are oil paintings on canvas, "Portraits" which are mixed media oil paintings, and a set of 9 works "Memories" in acrylic paint on canvas.
In Uyen Huy's work, the transition between various materials, from ceramics in "The Genie" to lacquer and acrylic on canvas, retains the vibrant visual spirit, rich rhythm, and familiar sense of movement characteristic of his creative practice.
For Phùng Chí Thu, the composite material in "Khâu Vai Love Market" or "Don't Leave" creates surfaces with depth and rich expression, where form becomes part of emotion.
Doan Quoc chose to explore both aluminum and oil paint, discovering the solidity, prominence, and formability of the materials in two different expressive ways while maintaining continuity in his personal language.
Sculptures by artist Phung Chi Thu
The embossed aluminum artwork by artist Doan Quoc
Lacquer paintings by artist Uyen Huy
Silk is also a recurring material throughout the exhibition, but each artist brings their own unique nuance. Huynh Thi Kim Tien's paintings evoke a sense of closeness to life and people; in the works of the late artist Do Thi To Phuong, silk becomes softer and more ethereal; while with Hoang Minh Hang, this material conveys a sense of tranquility and profoundness. Despite the same thin and light surface, each artist creates a completely different emotional rhythm.
The artwork "Spring in Tien Giang" by artist Nguyen Thi Tam
Watercolor paintings on silk by the late artist To Phuong
"Mai Hoa Dang" and "Hoa Phu Dung" by artist Hoang Minh Hang
The artwork "Late Afternoon" by artist Hoang Minh Hang
In materials with thickness and surface depth such as carved paint and lacquer, Quách Phong explores them in a way that emphasizes layering and craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Tạ Kim Dung, Nguyễn Thị Tâm, and Hồng Lĩnh present different shades of oil and acrylic paint, sometimes soft, sometimes vibrant, and sometimes rich in contrast. For Ca Lê Thắng, the "Flooding Season" series opens up a free-flowing and expansive rhythm.
Placed side-by-side, the differences in approach to materials make the exhibition not just a meeting of many works, but also a meeting of many perspectives, life experiences, and ways of processing, creating a multifaceted whole.
The artwork "Radiant Lotus Season" by artist Nguyen Thi Tam
Oil on canvas artwork by artist Ta Thi Dung
The artwork series "Flood Season" by artist Ca Le Thang
An invitation to leisurely viewing.
"Ancient age" has long been associated with a rare age. But in this exhibition, that phrase speaks not only of age but also of the maturity of creativity when art becomes a natural part of life, enduring like breath.
The exhibition space therefore encourages a slow and deliberate approach to viewing. Viewers can move through each work with leisurely observation, taking time for the quiet moments between paintings and sculptures, between colors and materials, between the artist's personal memories and the viewer's own feelings.
The exhibition brings together diverse voices, materials, and creative perspectives within a shared space.
Ultimately, what remains is not just the image of silk paintings, oil paintings, lacquerware, or ceramics. It is also the image of artists who have spent decades working in the arts, continuing to create and dedicate themselves.
