Masquerade
Bui Duc Tao is a graduate of the Hanoi University of Art
In ‘Masquerade’ Tao wants to examine the way modern society insists that young women have to disguise themselves and adopt a mask so that they can achieve the perfect ideals of love and happiness that are presented to them by a consumer driven media. He wants to portray the self delusion, low self esteem and misery so many women suffer as they are persuaded to follow the dictates of fashion and in doing so have to disregard their spiritual selves. Tao looks at the way women are treated as animals by the burgeoning beauty industry.
Tao’s butterflies represent the masquerade mask that enabled people to become anonymous in front of society and their peers. It can also represent a woman throwing off the conforms thrust on her and realizing her inner beauty,
Tao’s luminous oils with pastel overtones reflect his youthful appreciation of Klimt and have obvious references to the French Impressionists. Tao says he also references the Surrealists as he works.
As you peruse the works Tao suggests that you may encounter echoes of the songs of the composer Trinh
This collection by Tao was obviously created when he was deeply in love and is a series of visual love sonnets.