 |
| Doan Quynh Nhu’s works at the exhibition attract lots of art lovers |
Doan Quynh Nhu is the painter who brought her exhibition Thien Vu to Hue to “treat” spectators at Lan vien Co tich at No. 98 Bach Dang Str., Phu Xuan Ward in August when Autumn is coming.
At the art space facing the Dong Ba river, art lovers in Hue are overwhelmed by the return from far-away Germany of a Vietnamese girl whose maternal side is from Bao Vinh Ancient Town, which lies downstream of the Perfume river. More than 20 works painted with acrylic on canvas are conversing with spectators about nature and the universe through colors, sometimes soft and poetic, but sometimes rebellious.
Each of her works is a story of its own, yet all of them want to get across a common message about nature and earth and heaven, which have been her concerns. They remind us to pause, listen, and understand that every step we take in this life leaves a trace on the body of Mother Earth; thus, we must act with awareness and responsibility.
Before paintings such as Nong nan va Tinh lang, Ha vang, May dam quan san, Dat sinh no, Hoang ca, Hong hoang, Soi dau dam truong, etc., we realize that we humans are so small before nature, and we ask ourselves about our attitude and behavior toward life granted to us by heaven and earth. Also from those paintings we feel whispers of wind and trees, and the quiet breath of tree roots and streams below.
As said by Doan Quynh Nhu, before she became a painter, she had written poetry. It is poetry that inspired her to paint. Though they are two different art forms, they supplement and enrich each other. By combining language and imagery, an artist can create his/her own works which are able to move the viewer.
“In my paintings nature is personified to carry various nuances, sentimental, romantic, bold, mysterious, etc. Nature is wonderful. It’s not only the living environment but also exerts an influence on people’s culture, lifestyle, and spirit,” confided Nhu.
Many of her fellow artists admire her artistic journey, calling it “an effort to reflect her inner world.” Through her works, one can partially feel her vast spiritual world, a realm not easily understood.
According to Ngo Kim Khoi, the curator of the exhibition, Doan Quynh Nhu’s painting has its own whispering yet evoking language. Her paintings open up vague spaces between reality and dreaming, as though the concept of nature itself is dissolving into a visual form of poetry.
The beauty created by Doan Quy Nhu is not the beauty for us to admire only, but to live with. Beholding her paintings, we love nature even more, and realize something fragile which is fading into oblivion. Her paintings are like songs without words, where music and poetry do not compete, but supplement each other, bringing viewers back to pristine essential feelings. They are romantic love songs in heaven and earth.
Thien Vu is like a “visual dance” where each stroke or each color block tells the story about Mother Nature, majestic, gentle, but vulnerable sometimes. Doan Quynh Nhu’s paintings showcase her breakthrough in style and use of materials. They are the combination of her feminine character and her deep ecological awareness,” said curator Ngo Kim Khoi.