Two visitors are seen at the “Landscape, Mindscape” exhibition by Ha Manh Thang

The works on display at the “Landscape, Mindscape” exhibition -- onsisting of mixed media paintings on canvas, silk, and paper -- were inspired by the artist’s collection of Vietnamese antiques. 

Manh Thang began collecting antiques in 2002 when he was a student at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. He has filled his studio with exquisite lacquer woodwork, glazed pottery, and ancient statuary from antique shops in Hanoi.

While Thang’s earlier series depict whole buildings and lakes in temples and pagodas in northern Vietnam, his new works depict antique objects in their entire shape or with a focus on their motifs.

The new series also includes several studies of a lotus shaped pedestal, a specific item from the artist’s collection, carved in wood in the early 17th to the 18th century during the Le Dynasty.

Most of the paintings were drawn on canvas, but in some new ideas, Manh Thang used silk for some of his works. By using large-size brushwork, the light is allowed to pass through the silk, casting shadows on the wall behind and drawing the viewers deeper into the paintings.

The exhibition is open until November 2. SGT