Review, David Killeen
Au Trieu Street in Hanoi has its source at the confluence of streets that eddy in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, running off adjacent to that venerable structure on the right hand. At 10 Au Trieu, yet under the stern gaze of the church, a small alley branches off, by which route one quickly arrives at 6 Tho Xuong Street, Ngo Kim Nhat Art Gallery.
The gallery is situated in a typical, quiet residential Hanoi alley which appears cheerfully unmindful of its grave neighbor. The slender nave of the gallery is untroubled by any of the shades that haunt St. Joseph’s; the lambent light and warmth within are fitful for the subjects this gallery seeks to honor – the finest, most uncompromising contemporary Vietnamese artists, both celebrated and newly emerging, and their works.
“My paintings are eyes which close to see inside.”
– Artist Tran Tuan
In the owner’s choice of works for the opening of the gallery can be seen a quality of light and newness that shakes off an all too-consuming stagnancy. Even in the works of established artists present here is something new – a timelessness that does not look backwards, or remain motionless, in contrast to the prevailing idea behind galleries in Hanoi. Ngo Kim Nhat Art Gallery is dedicated to art by artists who create from passion, feeling as opposed to commercial demands. In other galleries in Hanoi one witnesses a procession of indiscriminately colorful depictions of Vietnamese women in ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) and Hanoi's ancient quarter; while wonderful, worthy subjects, to be sure, after visiting a few galleries one doubts whether other subjects have ever preoccupied the minds and hearts of Vietnamese artists.
“Only when the earth stops turning,
Will I stop painting
And impassioning this trade.”
– Artist Bui Van Kien
The commitment to breaking away from convention is also embodied by the young owner, Ngo Kim Nhat. Born into a family steeped in literature and pedagogy, Miss Nhat later discovered within herself a fascination for fine art while working for art galleries in Hanoi and attending international art exhibitions in Singapore. During this time, she realized that art for true art collectors by established artists and ardent newcomers merited its own space, and wanted such in Hanoi.
And thus, Ngo Kim Nhat Art Gallery was born and brings a new breath to the Vietnamese fine arts.