‘Vis-a-vis’ exhibition featuring new works by Do Hoang Tuong, Tran Van Thao, Sandrine Llouquet, Hoang Duong Cam, Lien Truong, Nguyen Thanh Truc, Nadege David and Thien Do opens at Galerie Quynh in District 1 at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The exhibition engages disparate practices in a complex dialogue, revealing the diversity of contemporary artistic currents in Vietnam. Tuong presents new paintings that continue his exploration of the solitary figure. Created in a somber palette, the pained, twisted figures allude to the frustrations of modern life, and of the alienation and helplessness that is commonly associated with urban living. Tran Van Thao will exhibit two new paintings, Old Town and Shadows, displaying an unmatched ability to comfortably move between styles and artistic methods.

Also, Llouquet ponders the
notion of transitional states of being in her new watercolor drawings and creates atmospheres that are both uncanny and fantastical. The indistinct landscapes and figures in her work can at first glance appear unfinished, themselves in transition from idea to an incoherent visual narrative. Yet Llouquet revels in the journey and the spaces that exist in between what is visible, and offers viewers an opportunity to discover for themselves the anomalous tales that surface in her work.

Truc’s latest addition to his Radio Station series consists of strips of paper taken from newsprint and magazines which are then methodically laid onto canvas in a gesture that refers to the powers at play in print media and in mass communication more broadly. Cam will be presenting a selection of ink and watercolor do paper paintings from his 1998 series, Dialogues conveying the youthful playfulness and vibrancy of that period of the artist’s career, and of Hanoi’s fruitful art scene.

Truong’s graphite and acrylic drawings on mylar examine the relationship between nature and society and the control that humans exert in the journey toward progress. The presence of light is integral to Lien’s work, highlighting nature’s struggle and perseverance. Do will be presenting work from his ‘Forbidden Grounds’ series, in which he constructs layered collages on canvas evoking the weathered, dilapidated walls that are so commonly seen in Vietnam.

Nadege David’s intricate ink and watercolor drawings at first glance appear delicate and playful, but in fact yield unsettling details to her mischievous figures.

The show runs to January 28 at the gallery, 65 De Tham Street in District 1.

SGT