Nguyen Ngoc Thach (1991) was born in Quang Ngai and graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in 2016. His practice in recent years has focused on exploring the psyche, human relationships, and living environments in relation to systems and attitudes of power. He is interested in and questions the issues of injustice that are becoming normalized, exploring ethical foundations based on the changes in the surrounding environment. Therefore, he always deeply explores the insecurity and skepticism about humans and nature.
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach with his work "Red Forest NO.2".
Born and raised in the harsh Central region, each natural scene is deeply ingrained in his subconscious, he is sensitive to everything around him as the scenery changes every day. The series of 36 paintings Ngoc Thach brings "Vang Canh" brings a completely new nuance. On the surface, it is a change in material from oil to acrylic, but when going deeper, we can clearly see the transformation in the mind as well as the perspective of the young artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach. Readers, please listen to the male artist's sharing in the conversation with PV Travellive below.
PV: Hello artist Thach. What is the central theme of the series of paintings you brought to the Vang Canh exhibition? Where did the idea come from?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:This series of paintings of Vang Canh all depict landscapes. It could be the series "In the Garden" with inspiration originating from the pure emotions when I step out into the garden early in the morning. Looking around, seeing the trees swaying in the thin mist, with the gentle morning sunlight, gives me inspiration and energy to create art.
The work "Morning".
The work "Afternoon".
Or with the series of works "Red Forest", the inspiration is filled with the remaining memories of my childhood. I was born and grew up around the mountains and forests, often going into the forest so it is very familiar. Every time I return to my hometown, I wander around the places that used to be so familiar, but sadly they gradually disappear. I draw the forest by searching my own memory, as a way to revive the good things of the past.
PV: Recently, in the works in the Hoi Ngo exhibition, the audience saw a thoughtful, sad Nguyen Ngoc Thach with thick strokes of color, somewhere there was a writhing, closed-off look. But in Vang Canh, he seemed to "change his clothes" with many bright colors, more open about his thoughts. Where did this change come from?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:First of all, I have to talk about the change in materials. At "Hoi Ngo", the works Thach brought to the exhibition all used oil paint with thick strokes and dark tones. But perhaps that series of paintings did not represent my personality, was not really "ripe". So there were also many works that I redid or destroyed completely after finishing. The series of paintings were painted before the pandemic, but during the pandemic, I felt that those works were too heavy, beyond my tolerance.
Oil on canvas.
Series of paintings titled "Night".
Works are mirrors, they reflect who I am. If I were heavy, my works would not be light and comfortable. After that period, I changed to be lighter, which is also a way to heal my inner soul. Changing the material to acrylic also allows me to "perform" my inner self more clearly. After a period of experimenting, I expressed everything more effectively with new materials, new techniques, but still keeping my personal style.
New, clear and open expression of artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach.
PV: Does the flexible expression in these works reduce the consistency in your personal style?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:Since 2021, I have had my first impressions of acrylic in my work. The softness of acrylic stands out between the strokes of oil paint, making me wonder why I don’t use that material in my paintings. Thach started using straight strokes with acrylic and luckily this way of working can express the desire when making the work. With acrylic, I can paint many layers on top of each other while still maintaining transparency. Meanwhile, oil paint is very difficult to do, or almost impossible to do.
Acrylic paint helps male artists express themselves more effectively.
Each work I draw has its own soul, a convergence of emotions expressed by different techniques, so there is almost no repetition. The style is still the same, there is still a bit of sadness in Nguyen Ngoc Thach's paintings.
PV: A fresh source of energy radiates from the paintings. The shapes in the paintings begin to become clearer. This is also a rather special change, isn't it?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:In the process of working, I try to find out what I want to express. When I paint landscapes, I do not simply record nature, but paint in an expressive and spontaneous way. The painting is abstract but also realistic because the creative material is taken from reality.
Artwork "In the garden NO.05".
The source of inspiration throughout when painting in particular, or working with artwork in general, is very important. It is the same work, but if you want to express a joyful spirit consistently, you must maintain that energy throughout the entire time of making it. For example, with the series of paintings "In the Garden", I had a very pure creative inspiration and tried to develop that energy to paint. The next day, I regenerated my energy and spirit, so that when I picked up the brush to paint, I could express that joyful spirit in total.
PV: How can the relationship between humans and nature be understood in your series of paintings at Vang Canh?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:In 2019, I had my first solo exhibition with "Broken Relationships", focusing on people, relationships and interactions. Looking back, I see that those issues were too big for me, so since then I no longer paint current issues. I simply paint "myself": what I have, what I want to express. In Vang Canh, there is almost only the story of space, color, sensitivity of materials and the artist's state of mind when perceiving the landscape.
The relationship between the author and nature is a personal feeling and the artist only wants the audience to see how the author looks at the landscape with a different perspective, tone, in a different space. I borrow colors, materials, and themes to escape the heavy things that used to haunt me in art before. Those issues are no longer important to me, although I still care, I express myself through other activities. The important thing for an artist, or a painter, is to find himself, not to find what people want him to express.
"The important thing is to find yourself."
PV: So have you found yourself through the Vang Canh exhibition?
Artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach:Actually, I am a "greedy" person, and I am probably never satisfied with my current self-discoveries. I want this journey to be much longer and further. That journey of discovery probably has no specific destination. I will continue to work and learn about myself through experimenting with new and creative materials. Maybe in the future, Nguyen Ngoc Thach will appear again with paintings of people, for example!
Thank you artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach!
Ngoc Thach tries her hand at synthetic materials on silk.
More information:
Recent exhibitions of artist Nguyen Ngoc Thach include: Group exhibition HOI NGO Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association 2023; Pop Up Exhibition "Ruc Ra Ruc Dich" GocLab-TOONG Coworking Space 2020; Solo exhibition "Broken relationships The Factory contemporary art canter 2019"; Young Art Biennale (Saigon, Vietnam 2017); Asian Student and Young Artists Art Festival & Hidden Artists Festival (Seoul, Korea 2016).
