Credit: Trương Triều Dương and Đỗ Duyên

TRƯƠNG TRIỀU DƯƠNG 

Death is an unconvention subject in many Asian cultures. Eschewing flattering colors or visual flamboyance, Dương’s paintings instead exude a profound sense of calm yet delicate refinement, appearing both concise and utterly precious. Death is an unconvention subject in many Asian cultures.

Like Vũ Đình Tuấn said “It is not to paint a beautiful subject, but to paint a subject beautifully”

This very sensibility is exquisitely demonstrated in his portrayal of flowers: for Dương, it’s not about merely depicting their physical form, but about expressing the subtle wounds on their leaves and branches, sensing the lingering moment of the flower’s soul, and acknowledging that the human soul is also intimately entangled there.

It takes an exceptionally sensitive soul to perceive with such acute depth—to capture beauty where it seems there is nothing left to find. 

ĐỖ DUYÊN

Duyên’s artistry is intimately intertwined with silk and hair, forming a profound trio that defines her work. Duyên engages in an intimate and dynamic dialogue with her hair, utilizing it as a personal medium for self-discovery; within its confines, she conceals, seeks insight, finds playful freedom, conjures magic, and challenges herself.

Her canvases articulate a spirit that is grappling with its own complexities, solitary by choice, yet ultimately accepting – an acceptance deeply rooted in a very feminine, suppressed endurance, and a struggle born of sulking resentment, expressed as both loose and tight. This innate femininity extends to her use of color, while her artistic spirit finds its true voice through her chosen material, silk. Not tough like steel, silk is instead soft, gentle, durable, and flexible, mirroring the resilient yet delicate nature of her profound artistic explorations

Credit: Trương Triều Dương and Đỗ Duyên