Trần Nhật Thăng, 52, is one of the pioneering artists in abstract art in the post-reform era in Việt Nam, known for his spontaneous yet refined brushwork blending with East Asian ink wash painting and calligraphy. With 17 solo and over 100 group exhibitions in Việt Nam and abroad, Thăng has many artworks in private collections and organisations across Europe, Asia, and the United States. 

Việt Nam News reporter Trần Khánh An talked to Thăng about his latest installation, an exhibition with architect Tùng Lê, named Thời Gian (Time), which combines the artist's abstract works with sculptures crafted from ancient Vietnamese wooden designs.

How did you and your partner in this exhibition, architect Tùng Lê, come to this? 

After 30 years of practising abstract painting, I have explored many different aspects with a variety of materials and sizes. I once created a painting that was eight metres long and with my experience, even a painting as large as the Mỹ Đình Stadium would still feel small because I could control and manage the space in the artwork effectively.

However, at some point, I felt the urge to challenge myself with smaller-scale work. I had to master my emotions to ensure that even the smallest brushstroke carried its weight and significance. Transitioning from large paintings to small ones was truly a challenge. The smallest painting in this collection is only about the size of a cigarette pack.

Once the paintings were finished, I felt that placing them in a normal small frame would not do them justice. Then I had an idea to collaborate with architect Tùng Lê, whose signature technique is to use local materials, particularly ancient wooden designs with cultural imprints. I believed that Tùng could create wooden structures and tell 'wooden stories' that would complement and resonate with my works.

How much time did you and Tùng spend preparing for this exhibition? 

I have been contemplating this idea for many years. Tùng also spent over a decade travelling to villages around Việt Nam, collecting ancient house pillars, beams and traditional wooden structures. When we decided to collaborate, it took us 12 months to carefully attach my paintings to Tùng’s wooden structures and bring our vision to life.

How did the process of collaboration work in this exhibition?

The process involved not just attaching the paintings to the wooden structures, but also creating a harmonious connection between the materials and paintings. I gave the entire set of paintings to Tùng, and he decided how each piece would fit into a proper wood frame structure and carved it. Some paintings, originally intended to be individual works, were combined by Tùng to create a set.

What was the reason behind naming the exhibition Thời Gian (Time)?

Tùng came up with the name of the exhibition. He believes time has no distinct present, future, or past, it continuously flows. Everything we do is simply one of the many things chosen to exist and unfold within this moment.

When I spoke about my dreams and future challenges, he told me that to achieve a dream, we first need a sense of security and a home where we feel grounded, as this stability is essential for making our dreams come true. Tùng, a home designer, immediately thought of a wooden structure as a solid foundation for my work when he heard my idea. 

Eighty works are divided into three chapters. Part one, An Trú (Serene Residence), features paintings that accompany the wooden structures from ancient houses collected by Tùng, some of which are up to 200 years old, serving as witnesses to history. This section is titled An Trú to convey the idea that ultimately, we all reside in a home and within time, we find protection and acceptance.

In part two, Giấc Mơ (Dream), my paintings are displayed on antique wooden furniture that Tùng collected. In the final part titled Tự Do (Freedom), there is only my painting without the accompanying wooden structure, as the framework of time has provided enough support for people to pursue their dreams.

Which artwork in this collection stands out most for you?

The artwork An Trú Number 21 is made from acrylic on canvas and brass above the câu đầu, which is the main horizontal beam of an ancient Vietnamese house, carved with a couplet. In this artwork, the pedestals that connect the câu đầu with the house pillars are represented by my miniature paintings.

This concept comes from Tùng's personal story. When he was young, living with his grandparents in the countryside, he would often look up at the ceiling and see the câu đầu, carved on the house's birth date and Ngũ Phúc words (the Five Blessings in Sinosphere culture). Because of that childhood experience, he later embarked on a journey along the Red River, from Lào Cai Province to Thái Bình Province, in search of ancient three-room houses in the central and coastal areas to collect câu đầu, serving as the witness of the house in the flow of time.

After this exhibition, do you both plan to collaborate on any future exhibitions?

The two of us plan to wander around Việt Nam to find new materials such as stone. We intend to experiment with the stone steps of ancient houses to create installation artworks.  VNS

Thời Gian will be exhibited at Green Palm Gallery, 39 Hàng Gai Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội from December 20 to 27.