‘Gan’ solo exhibition by Mac Hoang Thuong on Thursday opened at Cactus Experimental Art Space, featuring 22 artworks of pencil on paper and canvas which echoes the simplistic beauty of black and white.

The show boasts 22 pieces, including hands, feet and portraits of the elderly, babies and men. At one point everyone has scribbled drawings with a pencil but it is rare to see an artist hold an exhibition with all works done entirely with this tool.

The choice of works points to the bold and serious working process of Thuong in black and white. By using these colors Thuong can put his passion, emotion, thoughts as well as bring viewer’s senses to the familiar images of hands and portraits of family members and neighbors.

Graduating with a major in oil, Thuong has passed many periods of paintings by oil on canvas in surrealist study as well as making many pieces by mixed media with abstract setting, now Thuong continues to conquer art experts and lovers with his talents in presenting art beauty with pencil in elegant, pure and keen lines.

Large pieces made of pencil create a stunning visual effect for viewers, bringing a very close and familiar feel to them.

Hands and feet are depicted clearly with each fingerprint, wrinkle and knuckle in all their glory. They are not simply seen as what they are described but are metaphoric images as the artist christens them with emotional names such as Love, Win, Tears or Praying Hands. Meanwhile, his portraits not only demonstrate his skills in depicting harmony in setting, gender and age but also reveal their personalities, career and destiny. “Looking at the drawings, we may hear rustles of pencil on paper as if we are listening to the story of each character’s life via the language of pencil lines,” said artist Luong Luu Bien.

The show runs until June 22 at the gallery, 17/12 Nguyen Huy Tuong in Binh Thanh District.

Source: SGT