Description
‘Awaken’ by Phuong Nguyen
Artist: Phuong Nguyen
Title: ‘Awaken’
Medium: Watercolour and Matte Black Gouache on Fabriano Paper 300gsm
Dimensions: 17.3” x 12.8” (Paper Size: 19.7” x 15”)
Framing: Framed in Giltwood Frame
Year of Creation: 2018
About the Artist:
“Behind ‘Awaken’ as well as my other artworks lay a philosophy about darkness of the Far East, which was explained and coined in the an essay on Japanese aesthetics called ‘In praise of shadow’ by Japanese novelist Junichiro Tanizaki. The inspiration of this painting come from Ikebana (生け花) – the art of flower arrangement, one of the 3 classical arts of refinement in Japan. Ikebana also means ‘living flower’ and this practice usually emphasize on simplicity and structure, aiming to let the arrangement, the flower speaks directly to the viewers without needing the use of words. It is also a discipline art form to discover the inner balance, where human and nature intertwined, coexist. Ikebana is also the art of ‘darkness’, because it is usually put in an alcove, almost never under exposure of strong light, to imply the harmony of yin and yang, between the living creatures and the stillness of shadows. Rather than just a decorative piece, I also strive to provide a spiritual feeling to the artwork by giving the flowers a ‘life’ by making them human, awaken from a long sleep the moment they are put in the vase to become more than just a flower, but rather an embodiment of a philosophy.” – Phuong Nguyen
About the Artist:
Phuong Nguyen (aka Jacquell) is a Vietnamese self-taught painter originally from Saigon, Vietnam and since 2017 she has moved to Bologna, Italy.
She works exclusively with watercolor on paper with a strong dedication for details and delicate brush strokes. Set in a dark yet poetic world, Phuong’s artworks embrace her oriental origin and the harmony between humans and nature, and how such coexistence embodies certain subtle, clandestine messages.