The exhibition displays more than 30 oil paintings created between 2019 and 2023, belonging to two series: still life Birds, Flowers, Fish, and Leaves and Upstream with easel paintings combined with unique frames to create wall installations. Both series are a continuation of the personal artistic thinking that Nguyen Ngoc Dan has built and developed consistently since 2011.
Nguyen Ngoc Dan with the work Waiting to Go Out to Sea.
Nguyen Ngoc Dan's stylistic imprint is recognized by the modern visual language based on the solid structure of space, the rhythm of simplified shapes, the rich and non-overlapping color palette, especially the interaction and resonance of colors to create shades of light, evoking an unreal atmosphere in each work.
Painter Ngo Dong commented: “Dan’s paintings are laborious when using colors that are difficult to blend together, just a little bit of negligence can cause an uncomfortable imbalance. Dan has skillfully adjusted them with a reasonable ratio of large and small color blocks with extremely strange and delicate shades. It looks simple, but Dan often takes a long time to paint a painting, having to adjust every little bit of the hot and cold, the harmony and resonance of the colors, so that when Dan stops brushing and signs, there is nothing more he can add.”
The exhibition is also an opportunity for Nguyen Ngoc Dan to counter prejudices in the art world. Until now, the art world has not highly appreciated the themes of "birds, flowers, fish, girls". Since deciding to pursue a professional painting career in 2011, Nguyen Ngoc Dan has tirelessly pursued this theme and proven its artistic value through many works.
Nguyen Ngoc Dan and his father in front of the work Phu Hoa
“Going against the current means breaking free from prejudices and limitations in terms of artistic viewpoints. For me, the theme is not the most important thing, but the core is the visual language to convey thoughts and philosophy of life to everyone,” the artist shared.
With the still life series: Birds, Flowers, Fish, and Leaves, consisting of 16 oil paintings, the artist shows his artistic perspective: “The subject is not entirely the deciding factor. What is important is the way in which the visual language is used to express the artist’s thoughts, bringing the artist’s message and philosophy to the public.” In this series of still life paintings, with only flower vases, fish bowls, birds, and familiar things around such as kittens, wooden horses, masks, and shells, the artist takes viewers from one story to another.
After the rain, oil on canvas, 120x180 cm, 2019
Clouds above the lake, oil on canvas. 130x150 cm. 2022
From days of being immersed in unconscious dreams to harsh reality in Stranded Dream (2019); The cycle of the natural world, conveying the philosophy of peaceful coexistence of all things in Symbiosis (2020); Between Reality and Illusion (2021) contains thoughts about the human world with the crescent moon above shining down on the symbol of a smiling and crying mask.
The wonderful days of happiness as well as the end of suffering are recorded like every page of an emotional diary in Mid-Autumn Festival in Lockdown Season (2021), Flowers for Birthdays (2021), Hello Winter (2022), Red Horse Celebrates New Year (2023), Spring Song (2023).
Red horse for the New Year, oil on canvas. 80x100 cm, 2023
The series Upstream is divided into 2 parts when exhibited, mostly large-sized paintings. The characteristic of this series is the diverse combination of materials: wood, iron, barbed wire, composite (synthetic plastic), stained glass in many shapes: old screens, stylized cupboards, window frames, stained glass panels, wire mesh fences, barbed wire, oars. All are closely linked with the composition of the paintings to create unique frames, an inseparable element that makes the works go beyond the surface of easel painting to become a complete whole of installation art.
Monologue, oil on canvas, 150 x 200 cm. 2020-2023
Part one includes 4 works published during the period when the whole country entered two major lockdowns due to the pandemic: Tell Me About the Sky (2020), Waiting to Go Out to Sea (2021), Waiting for the Storm to Pass (2021), Survival (2021). Part two includes 6 works: Will Tomorrow Be Here (2019), Upstream (2020), Traditional (2022-2023), Monologue (2020-2023), Birds, Flowers, Fish Girls (2019-2023), Phu Hoa (2022).
Going against the flow, oil on canvas, 152 x 248 cm, 2020
The artist's paintings were inspired by the proverb: "Fish in a bowl, bird in a cage" with the symbol of a bird outside an empty cage, a fish reaching for the moon as a metaphor for freedom; flower vases in a vase, a woman's dress on a hanger are metonyms, evoking thoughts about the life and role of people in the modern world, especially Asian women.
The exhibition attracted many visitors, including collectors, artists, and art researchers. In the photo, artist Dang Tien is looking at the paintings.
Nguyen Ngoc Dan said that the 5 years since the creation of Upstream was also a time when the world had too many changes: epidemics, natural disasters, wars that caused life to change unexpectedly. From life materials, she focused on exploiting, putting into paintings and seeking sympathy from viewers. “For me, the characteristics of the times and social reality are the context to identify people on the journey of life. My art focuses on exploring the inner world and spiritual strength of people on the journey to find the origin of civilization,” the artist expressed.
Upstream takes place at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts until November 27, 2023.
Interactive space of the installation Survival alongside works during the lockdown period
Nguyen Ngoc Dan is a painter of the 8x generation of Saigon. Graduated with honors from the Surikov Institute of Fine Arts, Russian State Academy of Fine Arts in 2005, the painter spent 9 years living and working in Russia before returning to Vietnam to focus on his artistic activities.
Nguyen Ngoc Dan's first solo exhibition, titled Desolation, took place in the art capital of Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2015. Since then, the artist has been continuously active, participating in exhibitions and art exchanges, regularly connecting and organizing creative camps domestically and internationally.
5 years ago, in November 2018 at the Fine Arts Museum, artist Nguyen Ngoc Dan introduced to the art-loving public a solo exhibition called Narrow Strip of the Sky - introducing the results of 7 years of work through 3 series of paintings: Desolation (2011-2014), Fragile Life (2015-2016) and Narrow Strip of the Sky (2017-2019). After 5 years, also at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum, Nguyen Ngoc Dan returned with a solo exhibition: Upstream.
