Faces with diverse expressions are showcased in the "Portraits" exhibition by artist Nguyen Thanh.

Over the past two years, artist Nguyen Thanh has painted more than 2,000 portraits in various sizes, encompassing realism, expressionism, cubism, and more. In Vietnam, he is the first, and perhaps the only, artist to paint so many human faces. Each painting is unique and distinctive.

The exhibition "Portraits" by artist Nguyen Thanh features 30 portraits of varying sizes, colors, and expressions. While not depicting a specific face, these paintings reveal glimpses of inner life, in which each of us can find ourselves to some extent.

In a conversation with Travellive, artist Nguyen Thanh said: "Over the past two years, I have painted more than 2,000 portraits and faces of various sizes, spanning many stories from beginning to end. Sometimes I arrange many paintings at once, around 20-30 paintings. The 'Portraits' exhibition is considered the final part, displaying 30 paintings: 13 large and 17 small. These paintings belong to the school of performance art, very free, without any framework that I have to arrange. When viewing the paintings, each person will have different emotions; when happy, they will feel optimistic, when sad or in a certain mood, they will feel like they are themselves in the paintings, not fixed. It depends on each individual's perception because human emotions are always changing at different times. For example, during the Covid period, my paintings had a dark color ratio of up to 95%, but this exhibition, held after Covid, has brighter colors. Whatever my emotions are, I will put them into the paintings."

The works of artist Nguyen Thanh are reminiscent of the Gesturalism movement, initiated by Willem De Kooning and praised by Georg Baselitz as an absolute freedom in artistic expression. "Previously, I worked with many different materials such as sculpture, lacquer, and paper paintings... but there wasn't enough space to convey what I wanted. 'Portraits' was created throughout 2022 and 2023. If you look at the series in chronological order from the beginning, you'll understand why I paint this way at this stage. The exhibition is just a small part of my series of paintings. The medium I use is acrylic," said artist Nguyen Thanh.

Artist Nguyen Thanh quickly rose to fame in the Vietnamese art scene by pursuing the behavioral painting style. The male artist breathes life into his portraits, leaving a strong personal mark. The "Portraits" exhibition is a special milestone in his artistic journey, showcasing works meticulously created over the past two years.

The artworks exude freedom through their delicate and sharp brushstrokes, complemented by eye-catching colors. All of this contributes to highlighting the intense artistic emotion and profound dedication the artist has poured into this exhibition.

Literary critic Bui Quang Thang commented: "A performance art painting is often understood as an unconscious reflection of the artist; they don't paint a specific face because they don't paint from a model, but they still reveal certain characteristics, even the face and spirit of someone in real life. Therefore, among hundreds or thousands of portraits, viewers will perceive that portrait A, B, or C... will contain the image and personality of someone residing in their mind, a part of the culture they have accumulated."

In another respect, Gestural Painting shares a similar spirit with Action Painting, only it is not abstract. The artists value the spontaneous, unconscious nature of creation and consider the process of painting just as important as the result.

Artist Nguyen Thanh (born in 1979) graduated from the intermediate level lacquer painting program at the University of Industrial Fine Arts (2002). He is currently a member of the Young Artists Club of the Fine Arts Association and also a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

Nguyen Thanh has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Vietnam, such as the Young Artists Exhibition (2002), the National Fine Arts Exhibition of Contemporary Vietnamese Painting (2003), the Asian Art Awards Exhibition (2004), the New Generation Exhibition (2008), the Young Artists Group Exhibition at the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts VICAS (2018), the Young Artists Exchange Exhibition in Korea (2018), and the Lost Souls Group Exhibition at VICAS (2019).

His solo exhibitions include The Mask at VICAS (2018), The Tribe at Fergie Club (2022), and Portraits at Mơ Art Space (2023).

The "Portraits" exhibition will take place from March 14th to April 9th, 2023 at Mơ Art Space, 136 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Text and photos: Phuong Thao