Against the Current: When easel painting becomes the whole of installation art

The exhibition showcases over 30 oil paintings created between 2019 and 2023, belonging to two series: still lifes (Birds, Flowers, Fish, Leaves) and "Against the Current," featuring easel paintings combined with unique frames to create wall installations. Both series are a continuation of the artistic thinking and distinctive personal style that Nguyen Ngoc Dan has consistently developed from 2011 to the present.

Nguyen Ngoc Dan's stylistic hallmark is recognized by his modern visual language based on the solid structure of space, the rhythm of simplified forms, a rich and non-repetitive color palette, and especially the interaction and resonance of colors that create nuances of light, evoking an surreal atmosphere in each work.

Artist Ngo Dong commented: "Dan's paintings are meticulously crafted, using colors that are difficult to harmonize together. Even a slight lapse in concentration could create an unpleasant imbalance. Dan skillfully adjusts them using a balanced proportion of large and small color areas, with surprisingly subtle and delicate shades of light and dark. While seemingly simple, Dan typically spends a long time painting each piece, meticulously adjusting the warmth and coolness, the blending and resonance of the colors, so that when he finishes painting and signs his name, nothing more can be omitted."

The exhibition also provides an opportunity for Nguyen Ngoc Dan to challenge preconceived notions within the art world. Previously, the art community did not highly value themes such as "birds, flowers, fish, and women." Since deciding to pursue a professional painting career in 2011, Nguyen Ngoc Dan has diligently pursued this theme and proven its artistic value through numerous works.

"Going against the current means breaking free from preconceived notions and rigid artistic perspectives. For me, the subject matter isn't the most important thing; the core is the visual language that conveys thoughts and philosophies of life to people," the artist shared.

With his series of 16 still-life paintings, "Birds, Flowers, Fish, and Leaves," the artist demonstrates his artistic perspective: "The subject is not entirely the deciding factor. What matters is how the visual language is used to express ideas, conveying the artist's message and philosophy to the public." In this series of still-life paintings, using only vases, fishbowls, birds, and familiar objects like kittens, wooden horses, masks, and seashells, the artist takes viewers from one story to another.

From days immersed in unconscious dreams to the harsh reality in *The Stranded Dream* (2019); the cycle of the natural world, conveying the philosophy of peaceful coexistence in *Symbiosis* (2020); and *Between Reality and Illusion* (2021), containing reflections on humanity with a crescent moon shining down on the symbolic masks of smiling and crying.

The wonderful days of happiness as well as the depths of suffering are etched like pages of an emotional diary in Mid-Autumn Festival During the Lockdown (2021), Flowers for a Birthday (2021), Greeting Winter (2022), Red Horse Celebrating the New Year (2023), and Spring Melody (2023).

The "Against the Current" series is divided into two parts for display, mostly featuring large-format paintings. A characteristic of this series is the diverse combination of materials: wood, iron, barbed wire, composite (synthetic resin), and stained glass in various forms: old screens, stylized cupboards, window frames, stained glass panes, wire mesh fences, barbed wire, and oars. All are closely linked to the composition of the paintings, forming unique frameworks that are inseparable components, elevating the works beyond the surface of easel painting into a complete whole of installation art.

Part one comprises four works created during the period when the entire country entered two major lockdowns due to the pandemic: Tell Me About the Sky (2020), Waiting to Set Sail (2021), Waiting for the Storm to Pass (2021), and Survival (2021). Part two comprises six works: Will There Be Anymore Tomorrow (2019), Against the Current (2020), Tradition (2022-2023), Monologue (2020-2023), Birds, Flowers, Fish, Girls (2019-2023), and Vanity (2022).

The paintings are inspired by the idiom "Fish in a bowl, bird in a cage," with the symbol of a bird outside an empty cage and a fish touching the moon being a metaphor for freedom; the vases of flowers and the woman's dress on a hanger are metaphors, evoking thoughts about life and the role of people in the modern world, especially East Asian women.

Nguyen Ngoc Dan stated that the five years since the creation of "Against the Current" coincided with a period of significant global upheaval: epidemics, natural disasters, and wars that unexpectedly altered life. Drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, she focused on incorporating these elements into her paintings, seeking empathy from viewers. "For me, the characteristics of the era and social reality serve as the context for understanding humanity on its journey through life. My art focuses on exploring the inner world and spiritual strength of people on their journey back to the roots of civilization," the artist expressed.

The "Going Against the Current" exhibition is taking place at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts until November 27, 2023.

Nguyen Ngoc Dan is an artist from Saigon born in the 1980s. Graduating with honors with a Master's degree from the Surikov Institute of Fine Arts, part of the Russian National Academy of Sciences, in 2005, the artist lived and worked in Russia for nine years before returning to Vietnam to focus on his artistic career.

Nguyen Ngoc Dan's first solo exhibition, titled Desolation, took place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the art capital, in 2015. Since then, the artist has been continuously active, participating in exhibitions and art exchanges, and regularly connecting with and organizing art camps both domestically and internationally.

Five years ago, in November 2018 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, artist Nguyen Ngoc Dan presented his solo exhibition titled "The Narrow Strip of Sky" to art lovers – showcasing the results of seven years of work through three series of paintings: Desolation (2011-2014), Fragile Life (2015-2016), and The Narrow Strip of Sky (2017-2019). Five years later, also at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, Nguyen Ngoc Dan returns with a solo exhibition: "Against the Current."

Bi Le