Power of Art by Luna Nguyen

The solo exhibition by Luna Nguyen was hosted at the local library. Luna now lives in the Netherlands and comes from Vietnam. There isn't much shown about herself, but rather a variety of her artwork that she has used to express herself.

Her work is very versatile, touching many spheres, including painting, clothes, and jewellery. She has taken a unique approach to her work, making it stand out from just paintings, and stitches Vietnamese culture with a contemporary style of art.

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After a quick game of chess in the library, I went on to find the first piece of her vast amount of artwork.

Most of her work is mainly done with water paint, and then she adds something unique to the mix to make it stand out.

I made out a face in there and believed it was a self reflection of herself, even if she meant it to be like that or not.

The Power of Life is probably her "simplest" work. Subtle and sublime. It's not too crazy yet complex. Just like life, I'd guess. It breaks out in a beautiful harmony made from opposing colours running in different directions, yet simultaneously in sync.

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The Meaning of Life is just as abstract as the title.
What is the meaning of life? What does Nguyen think it is?

She let the colors run freely and create a shape on their own, without adding over powering colors that'd take away from the empty space that allows me to read through the lines.

Here, you can clearly see her unique touch. She uses Vietnamese embroidery on her work to make it stand out. Opposing colored threads giving the painting some direction yet leaving it open to interpretation. Maybe it is a take on how her culture and the contemporary world have conjoined to give meaning to her life.

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Once Upon A Time felt like it hit the nail in the head. How do you feel when you start regurgitating a memory that starts with "once upon a time"?
Usually, for me, at least, they are a bunch of large memories clumped together with very few details standing out. The branches of memory start growing the more I think of it, and they take shape until they become eventually factual. Until then, distant memories are very much in the dark and in blobs with certain elements standing out and are highlighted.

Here also, Nguyen puts Vietnamese embroidery to use to create a unique sense. However, one of my pet peeves is using markers or pen to create details. It's just a personal preference.

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Lake of Lotus is one of my favourite works in this collection. It is pleasant to look at. Lotus is the national flower of Vietnam and the passion behind this work shows.

It is also the largest canvas painting in the collection probably signifying the importance of her motherland to her. I love how beautifully she has painted the lake with different colors flowing through gracefully.

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Under the Sea illustrates her water paint versatility, as well as use of Vietnamese embroidery on a beautiful conformity. I love how seamlessly the ripples of waters are painted, which can be hard to catch from afar, as well as darker currents and bubbles. She goes further than just stitching but also uses pipe beads to bring out the bubbles.

The painting makes for a beautiful view and goes well with the "sea" theme of this part of the library.

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The further I wandered into the collection, the further Nguyen's layer work was revealed.

I noticed something peculiar. There is minimal use of brush strokes in her water paint work. At least at the base layer. It seems like she let the water paint flow on its own and only guided it by tilting the canvas. I'd like to know if that's the case.
But as more layers are added, she uses other techniques, including giving depth by the use of pastel and/or oil. This creates a natural depth and three dimensional effect.
Lacquer painting is very traditional to Vietnamese artwork. Water, oil, and pastel are more modern. She uses as many styles as possible to create her final work, most of which also incorporate embroidery to make it totally unique to herself.

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Mermaid's World is my favourite.

The more I looked at it, the more it revealed. It is a beautiful choir of colors. Brut and beautiful. There's so much going on in this one piece and shows Nguyen's use of water color at its best.

If you look carefully, there are multiple figures hidden in between all the layers. There's a mermaid and a message that I could not read. It takes some time for them receal themselves and I tried to capture them in the pictures.

She also uses embroidery, beads, and pipe beads to emboss fish, whale, and what I think is a squid. It is truly beautiful albeit I think the beads would detoriate and even fall off over time.

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All the work in this section follow the same precident. Beautiful, bold, and abstract water colors running freely. In some you can also notice that the painting was done upside down but presented differently.

Reborn was yet another piece that made imagine things the more I looked at it.
One time I saw a baby in the corner sucking on a pacifier. Another time I thought I made up a bird when seeing it from afar. The embroidery looked like a silhouette of a mother carrying her child.
Very interesting to see what it evoked in me compared to what Nguyen had envisioned.

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Like I mentioned earlier, Luna Nguyen also does art with clothes and jewellery.

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The Kimonos were a beautiful use of her style of painting, which lined the insides. However, these aren't painted but printed on the inside. I've seen a lot of artists do this. They put their artwork on the insides. Some artists have also used worldclass masterpieces on the outside, but I prefer when it's the lining. It is sort of more intimate and carrying a message when it's on the inside.

I'm not educated enough to know if the jewellery is also inspired by any Vietnamese style or tradition. I can see her creativity in them but they are certainly not my vup of tea.

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On the top floor of the library, Nguyen's more traditional artwork was shown.

It is safe to assume that she is heavily inspired by Frida Kahlo given that she has made three portraits of the Mexican painter. Also the fact that she has a painting named Magdalena only further confirms that.

In these paintings you can see Nguyen's control of the brush and beautiful color theory. They are a joy to look at. Unfortunately, they were placed in a rather odd place. The glasses of the weren't anti-reflective either. This meant that both admiring the work and taking pictures of them was a challenge against the glaring reflection of the sun.

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Nguyen has also paid homage to, what I can only assume, another inspiration- Van Gogh. Blossoming Almond Branch in a Glass, Sunflowers, and portrain of Armand Roulin are some of the popular works by the Dutch painter.

I do not know if it is exhibition worthy, but is sure is a way to pay respects to your masters.

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And finally, a self-portrait of the beautiful Luna Nguyen herself. I feel like this self-portrait is among the best of her works. It is a stunning painting. Beautiful to look at and so much to appreciate. The tedious effort it must have taken to create the backdrop, wow.

There is certainly power in art, and that is what Nguyen tried to show in this exhibition. I certainly enjoyed peeking into her mind and mine.

She is quite the creative, putting her efforts from brush to needle. It would have been best of she was around and I could've picked her brain. Nevertheless, a beautiful journey that brings together different cultures and styles.

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