Artwork “Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge”

Visitors to his solo exhibition entitled “Me alone in life”, which has recently been displayed at the French Institute in Hue, were filled with sedateness. They felt pleasant enjoying his delicately colored paintings, featuring elegant floras, rustic pastoral sceneries or the mysterious and delicate beauty of a young woman.

The installation artworks, which deal with contemporary topics, are his subtle reminder to everyone about the tug of war between the good and the evil, or the empathy and mutual support among human beings. Sometimes, his sculptures in the cylinder statues and reliefs bring back memories of childhood and family.

Introducing visitors to 32 artworks of many forms, from sculptures, installation artworks, reliefs to easel paintings and graphics, this very first solo exhibition of Do Van Lan marks his artistic maturity. Many of the works displayed, including the sculptures he made when he was still a university student, are experimental in both material and method.

Artwork “Orchid cactus”

Being a valedictorian of sculpturing from the Hue College of Fine Arts, Do Van Lan has impressed the public not only with his sculptures but also with woodcut prints on paper and acrylic on canvas paintings.

His paintings depict the everyday life of common people, a market in the early morning, the beauty of Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge, paddy field in harvest season or the pure beauty of flowers. More audaciously, the artist also depicts the beauty of the female body through his nude paintings, which are full of romance but are not sexually provoking at all.

Do Van Lan’s wood carving paintings are loved by their simplicity and proximity, true to the essence of the Vietnamese soul. He also impresses viewers with the skillful combination of carving and graphic techniques that he brings into these artworks.

The artist said: “I believe art’s mission is to bring beauty to everyone. Therefore, many of my artworks feature flowers and sceneries, fitting to the taste of art lovers while also making their living spaces more beautiful. Even my abstract paintings are easy to comprehend and appreciate, close with the public.”

Sculptor and painter Do Van Lan

As a speech to the fight against corruption, a very contemporary topic, Do Van Lan created his installation artwork “The stove” from a stove and wooden sticks, things familiar to everyone, therein conveying the message that the fight against corruption is burning like scorching stoves. On top of that, many of his artworks also engage with themes on environment and nature.

In his artwork “Mother nature”, the pregnant mother symbolizes the Earth protecting mankind. Everyone should thus join hands to protect this land, keeping the environment green, clean and beautiful. Protecting the “mother” shielding us day and night is protecting ourselves.

Whenever an idea sparks in his mind, Do Van Lan would bury himself on carving. When he was still a university student, he was already praised by the artistic committee of Hue College of Fine Arts for the use of stylized and succinct language to convey ideas and emotions in his assignments.

His artwork “Sharing”, depicting hands peeling the seed, is a symbol of the sharing spirit in community. Meanwhile, the elegant woman in “Fountainhead” alludes to the warm affection of a happy family.

Do Van Lam is still exploring a variety of both themes and materials. On each kind of material, he always invests his time in experiment to obtain proficiency. To him, seeing his works attracting attention from collectors is rewarding, which in return giving him more sources of motivation to nurture his creative passion for the arts.

Writing and photos: Minh Hien

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