Hung's latest collection borrows its title from the painting displayed in the artist's first solo exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, in 2011, at Craig Thomas Gallery.And Flowers Rained Down. Little Flowers,Like the artist’s previous collection, it was inspired by Osho’s teachings on Zen Buddhism. While the previous collection had a lot of empty spaces in the paintings, and Shala flowers raining down from the sky, this latest collection has less meditative space, and no space for spirituality.
This series is smaller in scale but more playful, bursting with color, surreal landscapes, featuring humanoid, fairytale-like creatures, depicted in a modern Cubist portrait style. These figures, sometimes half-human, half-animal, resemble the mystical creatures of our wildest dreams. These black and white figures remind us of Japanese-style gods, hovering in the clouds, watching over the viewer, or the dreamer.
Little Flowers, delving deeper into life on earth, human love and potential, rather than the spiritual side. The background of the painting is decorated with “small flowers, floating dots of color” as the author calls them, like “seeds falling to the ground, waiting and searching for moist soil to germinate”. In that chaotic yet orderly space, seeds continuously fall from the sky, evoking the hope of rebirth.
Up to now, Hung's paintings have always been about nature, from clusters of details evoking mountains, rivers, to leaves and flowers in the style of wallpaper paintings. The artist's inspiration is still the ethnic minorities of Vietnam and their diverse cultural traditions. AsLittle Flowers 9, Hung uses details from textiles and bedding of the Thai people.Free Day 2, flowers and clouds are very Asian decorative details.
Series of paintingsLittle Flowerscheerful, lively, once again representing Hung's ability to skillfully synthesize Eastern and Western cultures, and artistic references, into a unique, unified whole. ThroughLittle Flowers, the artist finds the seeds of life, of love of life and the loving nature of human beings.
Nguyen The Hung was born in 1981 in Viet Bac; graduated from Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi in 2009.
Exhibition Opening: Wednesday, October 22, 6-8pm
Exhibition time: October 22 – November 14, 2014
Location: Sofitel Saigon Plaza
17 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Website. www.cthomasgallery.com
