“Down the Street 4” marks Pham Binh Chuong’s fourth solo exhibition in the “Down the Street” series (since 2004) and his sixth solo exhibition overall. Though beginning his artistic journey with abstract painting, Pham Binh Chuong found his true calling in realism, particularly in capturing the essence of Hanoi. Over the past two decades, he has dedicated four solo exhibitions to portraying Hanoi’s streets.
Pham Binh Chuong shares that he is drawn to depicting Hanoi’s perpetual motion in his paintings. The capital’s evolving facade is consistently juxtaposed with its timeless values – the modest daily life of Hanoi’s residents and what he calls the “gentle conflicts.” For the artist, Hanoi embodies a perfect balance of ancient and modern, tranquil and bustling, where nothing completely disappears but rather coexists in an intricate tapestry. “Down the Street 4” powerfully explores this theme.
Old French colonial cement signboards stand beside modern light boxes. Traditional wooden folding doors share space with contemporary sliding shutters in some buildings.
The artist portrays street corners and buildings that still bear traces of French colonial urban architecture with simplicity yet profound depth.
The exhibition’s highlight lies in the artist’s exploration of the successive generations’ imprints left during the evolution of street life. Viewers will sense the “street soul” both in broader scenes and in symbolic details that represent the social transformations in the capital…
Exhibition “Down the Street 4” will be open from November 1-7, 2024, at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
M.T