Arts

“My Story” Exhibition

A painting exhibition entitled “My Story” by young painter Nguyen Tuan Dung recently held in Ho Chi Minh City introduced viewers to touching stories about familiar objects.
Dung’s 15 acrylic paintings on newspaper described truthfully and simply common objects, such as an old bicycle, a bicycle pump, a wooden chair, a leaf hat, bread and a wrapping of glutinous rice which are very familiar to farming families in his hometown of Thanh Hoa province.

Looking at his paintings, viewers were deeply impressed by the simple images of plows, bicycles and instant noodles which remind them of their childhood. Dung said: “I want to record real life and what I have experienced. My childhood is a great source of inspiration and a major theme of paintings in this collection”.

Young painter Nguyen Tuan Dung and his work. 


“Missing”.


“Corner of Memory”.


“Peaceful Day”.


“Dad’s Friend”.


“Childhood 1”.


“Old Story, New Story”.


“Shrimp Story”.


“Childhood 2”.


“Old Story”.

“Sweet Potato Story”.


“Story of the Past”


“Story 1”.


“A Little Bit of Sun and Rain”.


“Me”.
Nguyen Tuan Dung won a prize at the Vietnam Fine Arts Exhibition 2015. He also attended some group exhibitions such as Tet Art 2016, an international painting exhibition in South Korea andthe Vietnam - Thailand Exchange Exhibition. His solo exhibition of “My Story” was held at the end of December at Craig Thomas Gallery, 27i Tran Nhat Duat street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
In his painting, the image of a bicycle moved the viewer because it seems to reflect the fate of its owner. For the Vietnamese people, the bicycle is not only a means of transport and a means to earn a living, but also considered their close companion. Each painting  of the bicycle reflects a slice of life.
The painter  uses clippings of newspapers as a background, and then draws on them with an acrylic material. He chooses eye-catching headlines, text and images to highlight what he wants to portray in his work. Dung hopes that viewers can empathise with what he tries to send through each work.

Visiting the exhibition, Nguyen Hoang Phat, a 56 year old  guest from Binh Thanh district, said: “These paintings remind me of the  subsidy period (between 1975 and 1986). At that time,  life was very simple and people were very close and friendly with each other. The bicycle,  a valuable asset, was a popular means of transport. All my memories come back when I saw such objects”.


Story: Nguyen Oanh  Photos: Thong Hai & Files

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