Just before the upcoming Lunar New Year, “Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng” exhibition takes viewers on a journey to explore the beauty of traditional and folk materials re-imagined in contemporary forms. It enhances the essence of contemporary art through a fresh perspective on how heritage can be reinterpreted within modern creative practices.
This is a group exhibition featuring almost 50 works by three artists: Nguyễn Quốc Huy, Trần Nam Tước and HuongColor. Organized by VietnamColor and Gallery Medium ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year, the exhibition highlights the intersection between heritage and contemporary art. Through innovative use of traditional materials together with their artistic practices, the artists offer a fresh perspective towards the way we experience and perceive contemporary art.
With different approaches and visual languages, three artists brought together various materials — ranging from ceramics and banana paper to acrylic and oil on canvas — and created a harmonious celebration of Tết. Their creative thinking and material selection set their works apart in this exhibition, portraying the warm and sacred essence of the Tết holiday through vibrant colors and images of the Vietnamese people.
Nguyễn Quốc Huy bridges the gap between traditional ceramics and his contemporary artistic narrative by experimenting with clay, glaze, and fire to create his own distinctive ceramic works. Beyond his technical skills, his ability to evoke emotions and cultural resonance creates a dialogue between tradition and modernity.
‘The Snake Year,’ specifically created for this exhibition showcases the fusion of cultural elements and contemporary artistic expression. With the durability of ceramics and its sharp yet flexible details, the work captures the mystery and strength of the snake, reflecting the movements of life, change, and the eternity of time. Similarly, ‘Golden Fish’ depicts the artist’s perspective of the shared essence of humans and fish: both navigating through their own “rivers” in life and moving towards different directions in their own worlds.
Golden Fish (2024). D. 50cm. Ceramic.
The Snake Year (2024). 40 x 80cm. Ceramic.
Experimental and sculptural ceramic works by Trần Nam Tước showcase his distinctive artistic technique. Well-known as a multi-disciplinary craftsman with numerous awards, he works prominently with ceramics, and his experimentation with glaze, exploration of forms, and integration of Hán-Nôm calligraphy sets his works apart. His works bear a strong personal imprint, combining folk culture with the essence of ancient craftsmanship, always in harmony with traditional craft villages.
‘The Formation’ resembles a standing human-shaped vase and features the image of tadpoles and snakes swimming around, symbolizing new life, growth, and reproduction. Another highlight is ‘Three Flowers,’ with the Vietnamese title ("Ba Hoa") serving as an intended pun that draws from the Vietnamese habit of gossiping throughout the entire year, with endless tales and rumors that are both true and false. Both works belong to the Sông Quan ceramics of Thái Bình, a long-lost Vietnamese ceramic tradition that disappeared in the 13th century. The technique was revived by the artist in 2024, with clay and glaze from ancient sediment lands.
HuongColor presents the theme ‘In Time | Phoenix,’ with works that take the viewers into the depth of consciousness and the artist’s development of awareness. With an impressive color palette and flexible brushstrokes that carry strong emotions, her works explore multiple dimensions of creativity through abstract silk paintings, mixed-media installations, and oil paintings, with each piece revealing unique transformation and self-discovery.
Works of oil painting by HuongColor.
The artist’s signature use of color palette in ‘Black Pansy’ captures the elegant beauty of a flower that is often overlooked due to its black color. However, black is the fusion of all colors, and the deep black hue reveals subtle shades of red, purple, gold, and green, enhancing a mix of emotions and mysteries within. Meanwhile, ‘Phoenix’ symbolizes rebirth, rediscovery of one’s passion, and personal renaissance. The artist reflects that the Phoenix always appears in times of peace and retreats in times of chaos, signaling a new beginning. The work captures the present moment as something that has crystallized from experience, embracing transformation and strength found in discovering one’s own voice.
Tết has always been a vibrant celebration: the hues of blooming flowers and ripening fruits bursting with new life, bringing hope and faith for the new year and nurturing family bonds in a harmonious and fulfilled spring. The exhibition echoes this spirit by re-imagining traditional materials and their timeless values, offering new ways of seeing in the celebration of cultural traditions.
[Photos courtesy of VietnamColor and Gallery Medium.]
“Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng” runs until January 23, 2025 at Gallery Medium. More information on the exhibition, workshop program and fundraising auction can be found on this Facebook page.
