BLACK 14 by Artist-Painter PHAM MANH HIEN

BLACK 14

by Artist-Painter PHAM MANH HIEN

"Artist: who creates himself" is the name of an essay by Nguyên Hưng, published about 10 years ago. The ideal behind this title has always been a challenge to any visual artist.

UNTITLED 02 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

After his First Solo Exhibition in 1999, Pham Manh Hien withdrew into silence for almost 15 years; a period equivalent to Kieu’s ordeal to find her ego. Pham Manh Hien, too, seems to have found himself.

UNTITLED 06 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

In previous exhibitions, Hien’s paintings were brilliant with rainbow’s seven colors. This time, Hien uses only two main colors: White and black. White, the combination of cool colors, becomes the color of background. Black, concentration of hot colors, is the key color, and used as the theme of this exhibition. But neither life nor realm of thought reflects simply in black and white. There is an immense space of grey, chaotic deep darkness or light, not easy to classify as black or white.

UNTITLED 08 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

Merely through changing the tone of colors between black and white, mixing with his experience of life, his exuberant imagination and sensitive association, he creates abstract paintings, at the same time, uniformity and originality. Pham Manh Hien could create unlimited paintings of this style without reduplicating his idea.

UNTITLED 12 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

The most interesting aspect of viewing an abstract painting is the viewers could project their subjective perceptions onto the work of art. Pham Manh Hien encourages viewers to immerse the paintings with their own feelings. Therefore all 25 paintings are untitled.

UNTITLED 18 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

After 15 year facing the wall, meditating in the world of black and white, Pham Manh Hien found and threw himself into the grey domain, the intermediate zone between black and white.

UNTITLED 24 - Oil on canvas - 80cm x 80cm

Tu Do Gallery

20/4/2014