First solo exhibition by a Vietnamese artist in Italy.

The Italian cultural association MoCA is organizing the first solo exhibition titled "Soul Energy" by Vietnamese artist Henry Le, alongside the exhibition of finalist works for the biennial Laguna Art Prize. Previously, "Soul Energy" was scheduled to take place from March 21st to April 1st, 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Soul Energy exhibition, curated by Chiara Canali of MoCA Italy and Arte Laguna, features around 40 large-scale paintings and life-sized iron sculptures.

The works reflect the pervasive energy within Henry Le's soul – a key element that allows the artist to bring his inner world into his artworks, breathing into them rhythms and personal lives.

Artist Henry Le asserts that the existence of his works is like that of flowers: We can rejoice in the flowers, we can enjoy them or benefit from them; but for the flowers themselves, those things are irrelevant, they have a life of their own.

The artist stated, “My method incorporates both rhythm and energy. Positive energy acts as a vehicle, a catalyst, allowing me to transfer my soul from the inner world to the artistic world. The greatest work in this exhibition is the depiction of the world. When you engage with this work, you will feel for yourself how big or small this world is. Many people have had similar experiences, and they will see who they are, how they live in the public and private worlds. And both are in the same world.”

Speaking to the press, Chiara Canali remarked: "In these works of art, metal becomes a living substance, knotted, twisted; a hierarchical structure created from free, yet unrestrained, living energy, through which the human form is created. It floats in space to find its own balance through an inner rhythm, flowing from deep within the body to each of its limbs."

Additional information

Henry Le, born Le Huu Hieu in 1982 in Nghi Xuan, Ha Tinh province, is a visual artist living and working in Hanoi. He held a solo exhibition titled "Wearing" at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in 2014 and participated in the National Fine Arts Exhibition at the National Exhibition Center in 2015. In 2016, he attended Art Basel Miami and the Contemporary Art Projects USA exhibition in the United States. In 2017, he participated in the 11th Florence Biennale at Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy.

Huyen Chau - Photo: Internet