Description
‘The Brown Spots of Memory’ by Hoài-Phương
Artist: Hoài-Phương
Title: ‘The Brown Spots of Memory’
Medium: Natural pigments and sumi ink on natural dyed Fabriano Artistico 600gsm paper
Dimensions: 30.3″ x 16.5″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2023
About the Artwork:
“My grandfather left Vietnam when I was very young, so I don’t have many memories of him, but there is one image that I remember vividly. It was a summer when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and my grandfather came to visit our hometown. Since I didn’t see him often, I felt a bit shy and stood hiding on the stairs, looking down as he entered the house. In the scorching heat of Saigon’s sun, my grandfather wore beige trousers and a white undershirt. His hunched back was covered with folds of wrinkles and patches of brown spots. .
My mother also has the same brown spots. They are the reason why she never goes to nail salons, she’s ashamed of how aged her hands look and that people will make fun of them. Lately, I have been thinking that these spots are hereditary. When I look at my own hands, although they are still faint, I can see them there.
Whether they are beautiful or not, I’m not sure. Perhaps when old age comes and my skin is covered in patches of brown spots, I will find them troublesome. But when I think about them now, I feel a sense of endearment, and want to turn something that people often consider ugly into a beautiful painting.” – Hoài-Phương
About the Artist:
Hoài-Phương, also known as Jacquell, is a self-taught artist born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam. While pursuing her B.F.A in graphic design at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the United States, she explored her childhood passion for drawing and transformed a hobby into a lifelong career. Phương is currently based in Bologna, a beautiful town in northern Italy where she continues to nurture her art practice with her family.
To Phương, art presents infinite possibilities. It can be a vessel that carries one’s history and emotion across dimensions, a mirror that reflects society’s ever-changing reality, or a portal that transcends dreams. Her arts falls into the category of magical realism with a careful dedication to details. They often juxtapose a poignant narrative of human condition against a muted backdrop of natural phenomena and classical motifs, reflecting her connection to Vietnamese culture and tradition.