The language of painting is emphasized through abstract paintings
“Silence 2” is the second exhibition by artist Tran Tien Dung (Dung Trong) after the first exhibition of the same name held in 2021. This time, the male artist introduces to the public 30 abstract expressionist paintings, created over the past 3 years.
Talking to Travellive reporter, artist Dung Trong shared: “Three years after the first 'Silent Interval' exhibition, I returned with 'Silent Interval 2' - an explosion of abstract works that focus on the meaning of life and kindness. Inspired by books and the ups and downs of life, I use bright colors and strong compositions in each work. For me, it is full of passion, emotions, joy, sadness, conflict, loneliness, all of which contain many thoughts about society, people, love and the meaning of life.”
"Silence 2" is an exhibition of abstract paintings by artist Tran Tien Dung.
Abstract art and philosophy often find each other in that both seek to explore and express fundamental truths about human experience.
In “Silent Interval 2”, there are 9 works by artist Dung Trong using the main color of blue. Each painting will be a life story like the name of the work: Contemplation, Existentialism, Peace, Tranquility, Remembrance, Prayer, True Cultivation, Freedom and Nothingness…
Looking at Dung Trong’s paintings, it is easy to see his own story, about his life, experiences, and ups and downs. Although it is the artist’s own story, each person can find and recognize somewhere their own image.
“For me, painting is to enjoy the opportunity to paint in peace and happiness, in my private thoughts, to paint to share with friends and the world around me. After all, everything can disappear, but wisdom still brightens my own life. Through this exhibition, I want to send the message to live peacefully and kindly, because having morality will bring happiness, having happiness will bring fortune”, Dung Trong confided.
"Perception" - When you don't go beyond the village pond and the yellow haystack, looking out at the world, everything is scary and full of surprises
The work is titled "Heaven - Earth - Human"
"Compassion" was composed in 2022
Artist Dung Trong was born in 1958 in Hanoi. He graduated from Hanoi University of Architecture. As an Architect, with more than 40 years of experience in design, urban architecture and business management in the fields of planning, construction... He has experienced many stages of life, interacted and participated in many political, economic and cultural activities, as well as experienced and witnessed countless ups and downs of society and people.
The male artist was a drummer in a band when he was a student at the School of Architecture. He was also an art collector while working. Art helps him overcome, relax and create peaceful moments, quiet in his daily life. Dung Trong transformed himself from an architect, a collector, an audience into an artist, a painter, a storyteller of life with a brush and colors.
Painter Dung Trong and his wife at the exhibition "Silent Interval 2"
The painting "Angel" is also an image of a wife created by artist Dung Trong.
Portraits, landscapes, realism, impressionism… are all themes present in the male artist’s paintings. The content revolves around the story of life, from love between couples, mother and child, to philosophies of life, proverbs, hidden teachings of ancestors, and then to aspirations towards goodness, the best of human beings. “The main idea of a composition is outlined initially, then when painting it gradually changes, but does not deviate to another theme. The title of the painting is mainly two words, aiming to evoke emotions and thoughts for the viewer after each time enjoying the painting,” said the male artist.
Abstract art and philosophy often find each other in the way that both seek to explore and express fundamental truths about human experience. In abstract painting, the artist often aims to convey emotions, ideas, or concepts through form and color.
Painter Dung Trong chooses to tell stories through the colors of shapes from brush strokes, from the profound metaphorical philosophy of abstract works. Photo: Nguyen Mau Toan
Visitors come to enjoy paintings at the exhibition. Photo: Nguyen Mau Toan
Art's breakthrough from the bonds of mediocrity
Artist Dung Trong added: “It is only now that I dare to paint. Dare here is the beginning, expressing boldness and confidence to share experiences, stories and compassion through strokes, colors and shapes.”
The first exhibition “Silent Interval” was like an experiment for all genres, painting techniques as well as styles of expression. With “Silent Interval 2”, the new series of works are stories, but they are linked together when the public admires them all at once. From spiritual stories, beliefs, teachings, personal narratives, social phenomena… This gives his series of paintings an overall optimism.
"The Scholar" composed in 2022
"Faith"
Blue - in recent works, the main color of the works is smoothly transformed. Even though the main color is blue, the levels of blue are softly transformed. Even the accents are in contrasting colors such as red, white or black, they do not make the audience feel irritated, the viewer feels like it is natural.
Dung Trong chooses to tell stories through the colors and shapes of brush strokes, from the profound metaphorical philosophy of abstract works. The stories he tells are simple, and everyone has witnessed and experienced them, so one will quickly encounter closeness and empathy in the male artist's works.
Not only philosophical stories, teachings from beliefs, modern social stories or stories in the world, he dared to tell his own stories, personal stories that were universalized, personal stories, family stories, revolving around the human life of each individual, secrets that he dared to reveal in his paintings.
"Thinking"
The work "Temporary refuge"
"Existential" painting
Dung Trong’s works are mostly abstract, but they are expressive. Each story has a clue to approach. Each audience standing and watching, not lost in front of an abstract painting, in front of his works, they can recognize the story behind through the expressive clue he intentionally created. They will be able to notice and continue the content as if it were the same experience they had.
Life is filled with countless passions and pieces to build life and society. However, behind that, the support for each of us, everyone will need a strong figure, a comforting arm when tired. Hidden in most of the works of artist Dung Trong, is the desire to liberate, to go beyond the confinement of both concepts and perceptions. However, that desire is contradictory, he believes in religion, believes in cause and effect, believes in good things and it has pulled the balance back with the innovations. In the end, good things, fresh green buds are always born, silently rising with hope to escape from the mundane bondage.
Each work tells a story and viewers will discover their own world within it.
Commenting on Dung Trong's paintings, artist Trinh Sinh Nha said: "The art of abstraction - expression and philosophical thoughts of Dung Trong have found each other through poems that are the principles of his soul coming to the works in which Dung Trong has discovered and expressed truths and emotions."
The exhibition "Silent Interval 2" is open to the public until March 14, 2024 at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
The exhibition "Silent Interval 2" is open to the public until March 14, 2024. Photo: Nguyen Mau Toan
