The ‘Chats’ exhibition presents more than 50 contemporary acrylic‑on‑canvas paintings of cats created by artist Phan Hiền Nhân since 2022.

HÀ NỘI — It was the bond with his beloved cat – a golden Scottish Fold – that led artist Phan Hiền Nhân towards an unexpected new subject, culminating in his current exhibition at the Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts in Hà Nội.

Entitled Chats, the exhibition presents more than 50 contemporary acrylic‑on‑canvas paintings of cats created by Nhân since 2022. All the works come from the private collection of surgeon Đỗ Vũ Anh.

Artist Phan Hiền Nhân (right) and art collector–surgeon Đỗ Vũ Anh (centre) pose for a photo together at the exhibition ‘Chats’.

“In French, Chats means cats. In English, it means to chat. In Vietnamese, chats can be read as a non‑accented form of ‘Chất’ (essence, substance), or it may evoke ‘Chát’ – a sound carrying a hint of boldness and a distinctive aftertaste. In my paintings, perhaps all three meanings converge,” explained Nhân, who once lived and worked in France.

In Nhân’s world, there is a furry companion whose gestures and movements he observes daily: a resting pose, a lifted head, a glance, a moment of waiting, alertness, or ease. Gradually, the cat found its way into his paintings. Yet once on the canvas, it is no longer merely 'Nhân’s cat' as it becomes a symbol through which the artist expresses states of being, emotion, and humanity.

An exhibition visitor photographs Nhân’s cat paintings at ‘Chats’.

Nhân does not depict the cat in a realist manner. Instead, he employs the language of contemporary painting, using bold, expressive colours to convey inner resonance rather than likeness.

Being a cat person, Nhân understands every nuance of his pet’s behaviour. “A curled‑up cat can be serenity. A gaze can be curiosity. A turn of the head may signal alertness – or perhaps a touch of playfulness. A body stretched out can be surrender. A sudden movement can be pure instinct. These states are deeply feline, yet profoundly human," Nhân said.

“Humans too have days when they wish to withdraw, moments when they long for quiet; times of curiosity towards the world, followed by the urge to turn away. There are days of rushing forward, and others when they simply wish to lie down and watch time pass. That’s why, in my paintings, the cat gradually becomes a mirror of inner states – those feelings that even we ourselves sometimes struggle to name,” Nhân said.

Nhân employs language of contemporary paintings, using bold, expressive colours to evoke inner resonances rather than simply depict the likeness of a cat.

For surgeon and art collector Vũ Anh, a love of art perhaps began in childhood – in a family where paintings, sculptures, and stories about beauty were simply part of everyday life. Those early seeds did not necessarily lead him to become a painter, yet they shaped his way of seeing: his understanding of people, of work, and of the enduring value of beauty itself.

To Vũ Anh, anatomy is the art of structure, proportion, and precision. Between surgery and painting, he finds a shared essence – the beauty of exactness. “I have a deep passion for art, especially painting. It makes me place great importance on aesthetics in every surgical procedure I perform,” he said.

All the works are from the private collection of surgeon Đỗ Vũ Anh. — Photos courtesy of exhibition's organiser.

In 2018, while working at a hospital in Paris, the surgeon often spent his free time visiting museums, galleries, and flea‑market art stalls. Collecting art did not begin as a deliberate plan – it arose from a desire to engage in dialogue with what he loves and values. Each work brought home is not merely acquired, but continually seen, pondered, and contemplated within his private space.

That journey eventually led him to Nhân’s paintings of cats. Two individuals who might seem to belong to different worlds – one holding a scalpel, the other a brush – discovered shared ground in their ways of observation, in their fascination with structure, and above all, in their search for meaning behind the work they have chosen to pursue.

More than 50 paintings of cats – works that might otherwise have remained in the private worlds of the artist and the collector – are now placed side by side, allowing the public to witness an entire creative journey.

The exhibition Chats is on view on the second floor of the Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts, 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street, Hà Nội, until October 15. — VNS