PRACTICING BUDDHISM THROUGH NGUYEN MINH PHUOC’S PAINTINGS

Going to the pagoda at the beginning of the year has become a custom and an indispensable cultural feature of the Vietnamese. Standing in front of the sacred Buddha’s door, our souls let go of burdens, making room for purity and light to lead the way to peace in the new year.

When you go to the temple, you cannot miss the presence of monks. Simply and quietly, images of monks appear as guides to the realm of meditation and contemplation. For artist Nguyen Minh Phuoc, these sages also opened the door to the endless flow of inspiration in painting. His works almost exclusively revolve around how the simple silhouettes of robes gently touch the souls of art lovers.

Not focusing on depicting the scene, Nguyen Minh Phuoc’s paintings place monks in the middle of a desert of thoughts, sometimes hot and red, sometimes warm and gentle. Amidst the chaos of consciousness woven into each brush stroke, the backs of the monks are still steadfast and steadfast, facing forward without any worries. It seemed like they knew the final destination and had found the answer to the concerns of the viewers standing behind them.

 

Whether walking alone or in groups, the footsteps of practice glide through the nothingness of the boundless ocean of suffering, bringing viewers to profound contemplations. The entire scene is outside the normal laws of space and time, like a mirror reflecting each person’s ego.

Extremely intelligent and skillful in using pastel and warm shades, Nguyen Minh Phuoc creates unique visual experiences that are full of peace and softness. Even though he uses hot colors like yellow, pink, or red, his paintings never feel stuffy. Art is like religion; whether people can find enlightenment or not completely depends on each individual’s ideas, application, and understanding.

At the beginning of the year, go to the temple to find peace and happiness. At the beginning of the year, go see paintings to expand your horizons and enrich your soul, waiting for a colorful new year. No matter where they go, in the end, everyone wants to “open their eyes” and travel to other lands, a place to rest, separate from the cycle of the hustle and bustle of life out there. Although these dimensions are out of reach, they create a peaceful lake in the hearts of the audience.

 

Sharing the same core as religion, the artist also wants to bring viewers to unique meditation experiences. As a prominent name in the world of contemporary Vietnamese artists, Nguyen Minh Phuoc has demonstrated the perfect blend between art and idealistic themes such as Buddhism.

Participating in many exhibitions at home and abroad, he diligently transformed his enthusiasm into purity on canvas through images of monks. With more than thirty years of pursuing art, has Nguyen Minh Phuoc found peace? Whatever the answer is, he will still join art lovers in going to the temple at the beginning of the year through his works.

Visit the land of zen through Nguyen Minh Phuoc‘s paintings at Green Palm Gallery.