FINDING ORIGINALITY 

The “Nguyên and Nguyên” exhibition stands as a pivotal milestone in Nguyễn Trần Thảo Nguyên’s burgeoning career, serving as a powerful encapsulation of a decade of her profound emotional journey. This inaugural solo show unveils two distinct phases of her artistic exploration and orginality – the “Nguyên” in the artist. 

I’m not really sure either. Usually, I tend to paint about my emotional experiences, so whenever I was head-over-heels in love, there were tons of emotions, but then when I wasn’t dating anyone, it was like I was emotionless. 

But now I’m also learning to find self-generated emotions, without having to look for them in another person, you know. My first solo exhibition series was exactly like that. It’s like a summary of my 10 years of emotional experiences

The Unbridled Torrent of Emotion

Initially, Nguyên’s creative impulse was deeply intertwined with her personal romantic experiences, giving rise to art characterized by intense, often overwhelming emotional waves. During periods of passion, her canvases brimmed with raw, powerful feelings, manifesting as a vigorous, yet at times uncontrolled and unconscious, flow of expression.

Conversely, when those connections were absent, Nguyên’s art often reflected a sense of detachment, a raw “emotionlessness.” This early phase reveals an artist whose wellspring of emotion was largely reactive, a mirror to external relationships and their accompanying emotional surges.