THANH CHUONG: FROM THE PRODUCED CHILDREN TO A FIRE DIFFERENTLY SEARCH FOR DIFFERENCE
“The Golden Child Syndrome” is the name of a phenomenon where children are considered bright and intelligent at a young age, but because they grow up with high expectations, they lose their natural abilities. mine. This phenomenon often happens to children who are considered “prodigies”, then when they grow up they can’t escape the shadow of their childhood talent and “suffocate” in their own disappointment.
Nguyen Thanh Chuong said that he was once called a painting prodigy when he continuously achieved international fine arts achievements at a very young age (he painted since he was 6 years old). Most of the works submitted to the competition received high prizes, so at that time, he said, he was sometimes proud of himself. But then, he went to the countryside, and suddenly out in the middle of the field he realized that “what I have achieved is nothing compared to the vast universe.”
Suddenly, the wildness about himself was gone. He questioned himself in order to keep changing. And perhaps for that reason, he became one of the few “golden children” who escaped from the specter of childhood expectations. With that said, talented kids sometimes get stuck in their past because they’re blinded by the fog of praise and can’t go any further. However, thanks to seeing who he is and constantly pursuing perfection for his works, Nguyen Thanh Chuong has become one of the leading artists in Vietnamese painting industry.
Nguyen Thanh Chuong has always wanted to bring the difference into his own work. The subjects in his paintings are always very familiar things in life, but in one way or another, Nguyen Thanh Chuong always breathes new life into it. From a simple image like a buffalo, a chicken, or a family, he uses very special shapes and a very modern breath through brilliant colors.
It is difficult to choose just one or two works to represent Chuong’s 60 years of passionate art. As a person who firmly believes in his artistic ideals, Thanh Chuong has never let outside opinion affect his brush strokes. His style is “unmistakable” as the paintings exude an irresistible charm from the cultural elements of the Vietnamese countryside. This is the reason why the audience is drawn to his colorful modern works but still feels very close and rustic.
In Thanh Chuong’s eyes, Vietnamese culture, although heavily influenced by China, was not assimilated. If the lion of China looks extremely fierce, then when he returned to Vietnam, he became a cynic with a carefree expression. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to promote our inherent beauties, from familiar village images to traditional art styles such as lacquer.
But if they just stop at absorbing national traditions, artists sometimes constrain their own creativity. Therefore, Thanh Chuong also learns good points from contemporary art to make his work different, so that everyone can recognize it after just one look. For him, traditional lacquer or Japanese paint are just tools to achieve the ultimate goal: Bringing the artist’s perspective closer to the audience.
We invite all art lovers to Green Palm Gallery in Hanoi and Saigon to see first-hand Thanh Chuong’s works, which perfectly blends the traditional beauty of Vietnam and the breath of the times!
GREEN PALM GALLERY
Gallery in Hanoi: 39 Hang Gai, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hotline: + 84 24 3828 8298 – +84 97762 7722
Email: info@greenpalmgallery.com
Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City: 49 Mac Thi Buoi, Ben Nghe, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hotline: +84 28 6650 7477 – +84 98874 1116
Email: info_hcm@greenpalmgallery.com
Website: http://greenpalmgallery.com/
