Mzung Nguyen's "self-reflection" through the Introspection exhibition.

The exhibition "Introspection" is seen as a space reflecting the inner thoughts of artist Mzung Nguyen. The artist used over 6000 magazines, extracting images in their entirety using a collage technique, "shaping" the stories she wanted to convey with oil paint, acrylics, watercolors, and more. This novel approach can be seen as a practice of painting on paper, rather than simply collage.

Having taken on many different roles over the years in the arts, Mzung Nguyen is a multimedia artist with a wealth of knowledge and diverse experiences. She pours her passion and love for art into meticulously crafting each small sticker, infusing her thoughts and feelings into every piece.

"Reflection" - reflecting on one's own thoughts.

Previously, Mzung Nguyen was known as an environmental activist – proposing policies and conveying messages to people with the hope of changing their awareness. But gradually, she questioned herself: "Does everything necessarily need a message? Maybe something is right today, but it won't be right tomorrow." The external world changes every second, and the internal world is also constantly evolving. Physical and biological evolution also brings about changes in the psychology and consciousness of humankind.

Mzung's "shift" in consciousness is expressed with exquisite subtlety in the works featured in this Introspection exhibition. The artist, once known for her strict consistency, now seamlessly integrates hundreds of details and images from countless different magazines to create a deliberate chaos in her work. "Everything is interconnected, from the smallest parts of the human body to the grand events happening in the world outside. Inner shifts create outer transformations and vice versa," the artist shared. She calmly accepts this shift as a natural law.

Return to connect with your inner self.

The artwork in the "Introspection" exhibition is inspired by the "Atlas of Human Anatomy." It may seem simple, but are we truly acknowledging the existence of every cell and blood vessel that sustains our bodies? By incorporating these details into her paintings, the artist reminds herself of the interconnectedness and existence of even the smallest parts of her own body. "I simply want to do a better job as a human being by reminding myself of all the parts of my body, so they don't exist in a state of inanimate existence," Mzung shared with Travellive reporters.

The use of votive paper alongside human body parts has puzzled many viewers. Explaining this unique combination, Mzung said: "Eastern consciousness is linked to the connection between life and death, body and spirit, past and future. It's an understanding of the cyclical nature of existence – of birth, decay, and disintegration. Human existence is fleeting, like a grain of sand in this vast, boundless universe. But even in this temporary realm, humans still feel the urge to connect with every cell in their body, to grasp every subtle sensation as a way to immerse themselves in the organic life on this earth. These are the privileges of having lived and experienced the vicissitudes of life. In the end, does the most important thing lie in the number of days we exist? Or does it lie in the meaning of each connection between us and the world, in the beauty of the journey to enlightenment?"

These anxieties are undoubtedly arranged in a deliberately chaotic manner in the artist's works at the Introspection exhibition. Looking at them, viewers see thoughts stirring within themselves, prompting them to turn inward and reflect on seemingly simple concepts about the existence of their own bodies and, more profoundly, the awareness of their own existence in this world. After all the changes in life, including the changes within ourselves, do we truly mature?

Have we ever shed our glamorous exteriors to turn inward, to dialogue with our primal selves? Have we ever paused to question the essence of life, unbound by societal demands? Only in inner stillness can we discover the hidden beauty within each being.

“Introspection” takes viewers on a journey of reflection with the artist, while also offering them a private space for contemplation and self-discovery. The works selected by 11:11 D'artistes prompt viewers to question their own existence and identity.

Here are some photos from the Introspection exhibition:

Artist Mzung Nguyen graduated with a degree in Literature and Journalism from Hue and began her career as a journalist, screenwriter, and independent filmmaker. In her filmmaking career, she has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Silver Kite Award (2009), the Special Jury Award at the Vietnam Wildlife Film Fest (2015), and the Golden Kinabalu Award of KKIFF 2017 (2017). Mzung started practicing her art independently in 2017 and held solo exhibitions, “Rivers” (2021) and “Movement” (2022), in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. After nearly ten years experiencing diverse cultures and participating in various social events in Vietnam and around the world through journalism and filmmaking, Mzung Nguyen returned to Vietnam in 2017, focusing on her personal art practice. She began painting with various mediums such as oil, acrylic, and watercolor, and more recently, with mixed media such as paper, canvas, installations, and sculpture.

Bi Le