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Press Release, Ha Manh Thang, Art Taipei , Affinity for ART, 2016.10, English.pdf
Affinity ART Gallery, Hong Kong, is delighted to present Vietnamese artist Ha Manh Thang in his first solo exhibition entitled “The Lake” in Taiwan at Art Taipei 2016. Art Taipei is the longest running art fair in Asia and one of the most important platform for promoting art exchange in the region.
Known for his bold style and social-political commentary works, Ha Manh Thang is one of the leading young artist in the contemporary art scene of Vietnam.
In his latest series “The Lake”, Ha explores the relationship of “shui” or water as part of the philosophy of Feng-Shui in relation with traditional architectural buildings and the evolving society.
Roughly dividing the canvas into thirds, the top portion represents the heavens, the lower third is a lake and humanity occupies the middle section in the form of a man-built construction. Ha etches the architectural lines of traditional buildings that have particular cultural significance such as temples, pagodas or communal houses on top of semi-dry paint impastoed on the canvas. Perceived initially as a flat painting, the viewer experiences how the fine silhouette of the building seems to appear and becomes aware of its three-dimensional impact only by walking closer to the canvas. The delicate and transient nature of the etched drawings of the building, symbolical of culture and tradition, points to their fragility and disappearance in a context of a rapidly changing society. The outcome is elegant, subtle yet quietly impactful works that metamorphose continuously as viewers move around them and ponder over the deeper underlying messages.
Ha Manh Thang’s works are collected privately and publicly in institutions such as the Singapore Art Museum (2008).
Exhibition Information :
“The Lake” Solo exhibition by HA Manh Thang at Art Taipei 2016, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening VIP : Friday 11 November 2016, 3pm - 9pm
Exhibition period : 11 Nov to 15 Nov 2016
For more information, artist statements and CVs, high resolution images, contact Kim Lam
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