A painting by Đà Nẵng-based Phạm Anh. Photos nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — In his latest exhibition, Đà Nẵng-based artist Phạm Anh invites viewers to pause for breath and reflect on life, humanity and the ever-shifting nature of existence.

Opening in Hà Nội, Anh’s solo exhibition Nguồn Sống (Source of Life) offers a contemplative artistic space shaped by reflections on human experience and contemporary society.

Throughout the exhibition, Anh draws inspiration from the beauty of the human body, intertwining it with meditations on human existence and observations of modern life.

For him, painting is as natural as breathing, inseparable from daily life and personal passion.

The exhibition’s title carries meanings far beyond its literal interpretation, according to Anh.

'Source' represents the beginning of a gaze, an emerging emotion or an idea newly awakened by life and its constant transformations. For the artist, emotional and intellectual upheavals are inevitable, like a spark igniting in the darkness and setting in motion a journey in search of the meaning of life.

'Life,' meanwhile, reflects what is unfolding within the artist: passion, commitment and a continuous search for meaning. At times, he sees himself as a reckless believer plunging into darkness, like a star that briefly flashes before fading away, or merely a pebble falling into the still surface of a lake.

“I stand at that fragile boundary, sowing seeds of life and yearning to grow freely,” Anh said. “It is art that has brought me happiness and a profound sense of joy.

“The artist does not seek the source of life somewhere far away, but rather becomes the one who both uncovers and nurtures it through every breath of creation.

“Art, therefore, is not merely a form of expression, but a way of existing within a life that is constantly beginning, moving and endlessly renewing itself.”

Artist Phạm Anh will open his third solo in Hà Nội.

Born in central Quảng Bình, now part of Quảng Trị Province, Anh graduated from Huế University of Fine Arts. Since 2013, he has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Huế, Đà Nẵng, Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City.

He has also received several accolades, including the Outstanding Artwork of the Year award from the Huế Fine Arts Association in 2014 and an artist recognition award from the Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art (VCCA) in 2023.

His first solo exhibition, Tâm Lành (Good Soul), was held in Huế City in 2014, followed by his second, Kẻ Mộng Mơ (Dreamer), in Hà Nội in 2023.

In 2014, he also took part in the collaborative Việt Nam-Thailand exhibition tran8tate.

The exhibition will run from May 23 to June 7 at Long Biên Art Fair. — VNS