(Dan Tri) - The exhibition "Upsidedown Art V.Upsidedownism 2024" by artist Nguyen Dai Giang and artist Tuan Dinh (Dinh Lee) officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City, marking the intersection between two generations of artists.
The exhibition introduces nearly 40 unique works created in oil and acrylic by artist Nguyen Dai Giang - the father of the Upsidedownism art school and artist Tuan Dinh (Dinh Lee) - his excellent student. Upsidedownism is a unique creative school that artist Nguyen Dai Giang developed in the early 1990s. Upsidedownism is not simply the inversion of images, but the reversal of artistic thinking. Recalling 1995, artist Nguyen Dai Giang shared about the time when he was in the US, an environment full of outstanding talents. Living in a society where everyone had to ask themselves: "What must I do to be different?". "I began to search for a new, different painting style, and from there developed the upside-down art school. In 1996-1997, I was granted copyright for this style. Upsidedown art draws both directions - yin and yang, ugliness and beauty - reflecting the contrast in all things," artist Dai Giang shared. Everything is seen through a new lens, where the ordinary becomes strange, and the familiar is suddenly full of hidden meaning. In this way, each Upsidedownist work becomes a "space" that forces the viewer to change the way they see, thereby delving into the layers of meaning hidden within.
In upside-down paintings, the images are strongly disturbed: eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet change places, the outside becomes the inside, the top becomes the bottom. However, these changes do not destroy the original being, it is still the same person, it cannot be anyone else. ''The fundamental theory of Upsidedownism is associated with the view that everything changes, and in that change, the beginning and the end can return to each other, similar and blended in an endless cycle. This is a perspective on the eternal movement of life and human perception, where everything that seems static and stable can change beyond recognition'', artist Nguyen Dai Giang shared. For young artist Tuan Dinh (Dinh Lee), upside down art is a never-ending journey of self-discovery and self-challenge. Starting to approach Upsidedownism in 2008, Dinh Lee was fascinated by the style's ability to change the way he sees the world. "I love this school because of its unique way of thinking, which makes me change a lot. When facing difficulties, I am never shocked, but always stay calm in all situations. Although some Vietnamese artists also pursue Upsidedownism, they must be imbued with the ideology of Upsidedownism to have sublimation and artistic development," Dinh shared.
With his "Art for art's sake" viewpoint, artist Tuan Dinh not only learned from his teacher but also created and developed his own style, bringing a new perspective, expanding the possibilities of upside-down art to better suit the needs and expectations of today's viewers. His paintings have a clear transformation in lines, color usage and shaping style, bringing a more youthful and modern color. Mr. Dinh shared more: ''Choosing this new artistic path and being a student of the creator of Upsidedownism, I certainly cannot avoid pressure. Especially when displaying the products of both teacher and student in the same space, there will be certain comparisons in terms of craftsmanship and perspective between the works. But that is also the motivation for me to try harder to continue to affirm the vitality and uniqueness of the Upsidedownism school in the future''. Inverted art is not an easy style to understand. It requires patience and an open heart to be able to feel the subtleties in each stroke, in each way of constructing and composing. Sometimes, just by changing the perspective a little, we can see new things, messages that have never been clearly revealed. And that is the power of inverted art - not just seeing but understanding, a dialogue between artist and viewer, between mind and vision. Ms. Thanh Hien (District 7) said she was extremely impressed with the freedom in each work. "The works in this exhibition are not simply paintings but "outlets" for the imagination, an opportunity for each person to find their own meaning in images that can be considered "paradoxical" but are very vivid and full of hidden meanings," Ms. Hien shared. Featuring two generations of talented artists, the V.Upsidedownism 2024 exhibition is a profound conversation between the past and the present, between two generations of artists, and most importantly, between art and viewers. The exhibition takes place from December 14 to 22 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, District 1 (HCMC), promising to bring emotional art experiences, opening up new perspectives on the world around us.
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