What people on the river fear most is running aground - when the boat cannot pass because the water is shallow. There are countless reasons for a boat to run aground: wrong channel, carelessness, falling asleep, low tide... Especially when the boat is heavily loaded and runs aground, it is extremely tiring. The difficulty and danger of giving birth that a woman, who gives birth on land, must overcome is like a man overcoming a stranded boat. That is why there is a folk song:
Men go to the beach in pairs
Alone Orphaned Sea Woman
Breaking it down word by word, we have the exhibition "Going to the beach as a couple" by artist Nguyen Cong Hoai.Man- the artist, tells the story of the manWoman: they alone, theygo to the beach- give birth, theyhave a pair -Giving birth. Going to sea has long been a difficult and dangerous journey that only men can undertake. However, they still have teammates to accompany them. Giving birth is equally difficult for women, but they face it alone. It is the law of nature that has arranged it. A talented artist does not only record what they see. He also has to use colors and lines to tell the emotions of that moment. Looking at Nguyen Cong Hoai's paintings, we see a love without filters, naked but gentle.
Nguyen Cong Hoai was born in 1984 in Quang Tri. His paintings often delve into many aspects of a person. There is light and darkness. There is loneliness and glory. The portraits of people in his paintings, whether colorful or monochrome, strong or soft, are still independent and lonely in their life journey. However, in the exhibition "Going to Sea in Pairs", the people in his paintings, though alone, in pain and anguish, still exude a romantic and tolerant light.
The women in the artist's paintings appear strangely familiar. We may not remember their faces, but we have certainly met them. They radiate a warm light, spreading to everyone around them. That source of energy cools the newborn babies, nurturing them to grow up. Those simple yet intense feelings are drawn by the author like a visual diary, seemingly jotted down in haste, but each line and stroke is meticulously cared for.
Nguyen Cong Hoai shared: “Women, carrying their identities, do not necessarily represent anything. I just draw my wife and children. Pregnant, loving, confused, busy, irritable, sad. I also do not understand why I draw my wife and children so gently. Love is just love. Women are always attached to children, family and small loves. Every time she is pregnant, carrying heavy burdens, but inside she is reborn. Those things make me feel happy. Happy when taking care, when growing up, sharing together…”
Curator Ly Doi shared: “The exhibition Going to the Sea in Pairs is a selection of many years of drawing about family, it is like a savings. Hoai said jokingly, but truthfully: “When I don’t know what to draw, I draw my wife and children. But if I go to the studio and don’t draw anything, it’s a waste of a day.” This statement shows that Hoai has determined for himself to be dedicated, like a tree that grows bigger every day, when the time comes, it must blossom and bear fruit.”
The artist exposes himself most nakedly through his works. The exhibition "Going to the sea together" shows us another side of Nguyen Cong Hoai: a very gentle and loving husband and father. No more existential worries, no more burying himself in dreams. He returns to simple family activities, to a home where both husband and wife have separate journeys but are still connected by love: children.
“Going to the beach together” is Nguyen Cong Hoai’s 6th solo exhibition, taking place from March 2 to March 22, 2023 at Alpha Art Station (271/5 Nguyen Trong Tuyen, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City). Half of the exhibition’s paintings will be displayed at the American International Hospital (AIH), 199 Nguyen Hoang, An Phu Ward, Thu Duc City (old District 2) on March 7 as a spiritual gift for women who are, have been, and will be mothers.
