HÀ NỘI – In a world reeling with political fractures, environmental disasters, spiritual confusion, and economic and familial breakdown, art holds its unique place, Suzanne Lecht, owner of Art Vietnam Gallery, said.

Lecht, a curator of Bold Strokes, an event to celebrate the contemporary art in Việt Nam which gathers many Vietnamese and foreign artists, said art is also a beacon of awareness and a place of refuge.

A reception with the participation of many emerging artists and art lovers will take place tonight at the Art Vietnam Gallery.

Lecht said she selected the best works in the collections of the gallery to showcase the brightest evolution of art coming out of Việt Nam today.

The artworks displayed are made from various materials, including The ForeFinger 2015 sculpture by Trần Tuấn from Huế which was recently presented in The Land of Distortion exhibition at the Bildmusset Museum in Sweden; calligraphic works of the avant garde Zenei Gang of Five, and the photo series by Nguyễn Thế Sơn.

The installation artworks by Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, The Meeting (2015) and Checkpoint (2014), continue to delight with his sardonic, humorous depictions of a country shifting from an ancient, traditional culture headlong into modern day commercialism.

Many video works include Another Place across the River (2013) by Trương Công Tùng from HCM City, Mạo Khê (2001) by Trần Lương which depicts the harsh conditions of the coal miners and a video by Bùi Công Khanh that exposes modern day life and the struggle for existence in a rapidly changing world.

Foreign artists who have lived and worked in Việt Nam for a long time will present their highlighted works to express their point of view about the emerging society where the integration and cultural exchange occur every day.

They are Donald Damask, a fine printmaker from New York, Simon Redington (the United Kingdom) with oil on canvas reflecting sombre past; Maritta Nurmi (The Netherlands) with shimmery silver leaf surfaces framed in textiles with images of the leaves of the frangipani trees, commonly found at the entrance of all pagodas, lead us into a contemplation of the world beyond the physical realm.

Lolo Zazar (France) with creations of wooden sculpted Zodiac animals covered in photos of the old walls of Hà Nội present a modern, playful twist; Jorge Rivera (Spain) with sculptures of parts of the Honda Dream motorbike and Sebastien Laval (France) with photos of urban cities.

David Thomas, artist and founder of the Indochina Arts Partnership in Boston, has brought over 100 artists from Việt Nam for residencies in the US and presented numerous exhibitions in his effort to expose Vietnamese art.

Catherine Karnow from the United States will showcase photographs reflecting the unique perspective of the consummate insider and are evocative of a country opening its arms to the international world. 

“We would like to honour all of the artists of Việt Nam and foreign artists living in Việt Nam who have contributed so much to the global understanding of a very unique and dynamic country,” Lecht said.

The collections will be open to the public until the end of this month at the Art Vietnam Gallery, 24 Lý Quốc Sư Street, Hà Nội. – VNS