Doan Xuan Tang’s latest exhibition, Tho Cam II, distills the romance and mystery of Vietnam’s mountainous region and its people. The streaked lines look like veils through which eyes peer dispassionately, recalling his rain-lashed first visit.
“I particularly love to paint the eyes because they reflect the soul inside — happy, sad or suffering,” he says.
Refusing to romanticise a region whose beauty belies hardships, the lines remind us that cultures can’t be consumed, and inevitably elude our true understanding. Physical appearance is just one facet of the complexity of the human condition. Tang adds: “Beauty fades, but its impression is permanent.”
The exhibition is free of charge and is open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday. Vin Gallery is at 6 Le Van Mien, Q2, HCMC. Check out vingallery.com for more info
