A work titled "Nameless", acrylic on canvas by Bùi Hoàng Dương. — Photo courtesy of the artist

HÀ NỘI — A special painting exhibition entitled XOM by a group of Vietnamese artists and a foreigner will open this week in the centre of Hà Nội.

The XOM Art Exhibition 2020 is being held for the first time to mark the establishment of the XOM Group, which consists of seven members from across the country and one from South Africa. They are Yến Năng, Lê Thị Minh Tâm, Bùi Hoàng Dương, Nguyễn Xuân Hoàng Hà Huy Mười and Hendrik Jakobus Lubbex.

The artists are expected to display more than 50 works of different artistic styles including eight performance art shows, featuring their future dreams and particularly their views towards beauty and life.

Yến Năng, one of the members, explained the name of the group, XOM, saying that it was an idea with and without a meaning because the artists would like to let the audience define it by themselves after viewing their work.

"Many people asked me about XOM, wondering what does it mean. This name was born both intentionally and unintentionally. Actually, it is not important because initially, just know it is a symbol to distinguish from any other exhibitions," according to Năng.

"However, in the long term, if we can fulfill our dreams (or maybe not) that we convey through the content of our works, then the audience will understand and they can define what XOM is. That is more important," Năng added.

Năng, 48, will have one of his installation works and a sculpture exhibited at XOM 2020. Many of his works have appeared at different art events since 2002. His art studio is at Vicas Art Garage, 32 Hào Nam, Hà Nội.

For Năng, art is something that "authentic artists" are always trying to break down its old "definition".

"Before, I used to say: 'for me, art is this or that ...' But now, I can see, art is the reclamation. We reclaim materials, skills, minds and soul," according to Năng.

An installation art work by Yến Năng. — Photo courtesy of the artist

Specifically, the artist said, now with the XOM 2020 exhibition, he had reclaimed from "construction waste" or the iron scraps collected from demolished constructions.

Meanwhile, artist Bùi Hoàng Dương, 37, from the central province of Thanh Hóa, said he would display his special works about dogs at the exhibition.

Dương, who has travelled extensively throughout the country and abroad since 2000, has a deep and endless affection for dogs, particularly those he had raised and lived with. And his love for man’s best friend is evident in his paintings.

Up until now, he has created more than 300 paintings and participated in many art events since 2007.

Not surprisingly, most of his artworks are portraits of dogs, showing the interaction between the animal and human. 

He paints dogs in different moods and in doing so, he conveys his own emotions.

"I paint like growing a dog. I love all dogs as if they are my children. I tied myself up with dogs and find freedom with them," Dương said.

"The topic of dogs helps me have many personal experiences, about life. And I will go on to paint dogs until I pass away.

I am a wanderer who longs for love big and meaningful enough to complete myself as a human being," Dương added.

The artist said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition will publish eight performance art works online.

Other painters in the XOM Group have created art works through their views of life and humans.

Mười draws like a rhetoric since he features monstrous and creepy creatures making viewers think of "contemporary dark forces".

Hoàng creates works about singing and for Hoàng, painting makes him a philosopher as he shows off human nature in his own way.

Tâm paints like practising. She believes in the spiritual world and she displays it with colours on a flat surface. She attracts viewers with her magical beliefs. 

Hendrik paints as a presentation. He presents his cultural background, expatriate thoughts about his homeland and origin as well as his vision of the strange place where he is living. The artist now is temporarily living and working in Việt Nam.

A work entitled "The Melody of Nails", oil on canvas by Nguyển Xuân Hoàng — Photo courtesy of the artist.

All of the works will be displayed at the event from August 19-23 at 29 Hàng Bài street. — VNS