Nguyen Trung (Vietnamese, born 1940) Lotus Offering

Nguyen Trung (Vietnamese, born 1940)
Lotus Offering
2005

oil on canvas

100 x 100 cm (39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in)

The work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity issued by Gajah Gallery, Singapore, dated February 14, 2006.
Provenance
Gajah Gallery, Singapore
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006
Private collection, Europe

阮忠
蓮花
油彩 畫布
2005年作

此作附新加坡Gajah畫廊於2006年2月14日開立之作品保證書

來源
新加坡Gajah畫廊
現藏家於2006年得自上述來源
歐洲私人收藏

Nguyen Trung: A Master of Abstract Lyricism in Vietnamese Art

Nguyen Trung is an influential Vietnamese artist whose career has spanned more than six decades. Having developed a unique and innovative style that blends European Rationalism and Oriental philosophy, he is widely regarded as a pioneer of abstract art in Vietnam.

Born in 1940 in Soc Trang, a province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, Nguyen Trung showed an early interest and talent in art. In 1956, he enrolled in the Gia Dinh Fine Arts School in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), where he studied under the famous painter Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-1993). He graduated in 1961 and became a teacher at the same school. In 1966, he co-founded the Young Artists Association, a vanguard art group in Saigon.

Early in his career, Nguyen Trung primarily worked with oil on canvas, employing a vibrant and refreshing colour palette reminiscent of romantic realism. He devoted himself to figurative painting, and predominantly depicted charming, graceful, and lyrical female figures in a serene natural setting brimming with blossoms and fruit. His works were thus infused with a sense of nostalgia and reverie.

Nguyen Trung was influenced by Western art movements, such as Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. He also studied the Eastern artistic traditions, including Chinese calligraphy, Japanese Zen painting, and Vietnamese folk art. Combining these various inspirations, he began to develop his own abstract style, which he called "abstract lyricism".

His "abstract lyricism" is characterised by simple forms, subtle colours, and rich textures. With circles, squares, and lines, he produces harmonious and balanced compositions. The use of a subtle and refined colour palette, often monochrome or with a few contrasting tones, creates a poetic and meditative atmosphere. He applies the paint with various tools, such as brushes, knives, and spatulas, sometimes using his hands to scratch, smear, or rub the surface. This results in the paintings' textured effect.

Nguyen Trung's abstract paintings are heavily influenced by his intellectual involvement with Buddhism, as well as his personal experiences and memories. He often incorporates elements and motifs from his culture and his surroundings, such as lotus flowers, bamboo trees, pagodas, and letters. Through his style and subjects, the artist reflects on universal themes such as time, nature, and spirituality.