Figuring a shape – In dialogue with To Ngoc Van

[Art]venture

Figuring a shape – In dialogue with To Ngoc Van

Art Nation
27.11.25

“Figuring a shape”, co-organised by Phu Sa Art Foundation and Lan Tinh Foundation, introduces 71 sketches by late artist To Ngoc Van – a slice of the artist’s immense body of work – simultaneously creating a dialogue with seven contemporary artists, including: Kim Bach, Dang Xuan Hoa, Phan Cam Thuong, Duy Hoa, Trieu Phuong, Le Thuy, and Xuan Lam. These artists represent the descendant generations of Indochina School of Fine Arts (1924–1945) as we celebrate the school’s centennial anniversary.

Le Thuy’s artwork “Four seasons of mist” (left) and Phan Cam Thuong’s set of 6 works in “A 60-Year Cycle” (right) in the “Figuring a shape” exhibition. Photo: Phu Sa Art Foundation.

“Figuring a shape” is an essay presented in the form of an exhibition. The curatorial team aims to construct an hypothetical cross-generational dialogue between To Ngoc Van and contemporary artists – all of whom are descendants of the Yet Kieu school. Whether working in oil, lacquer, silk, paper, or mixed media, these artists share commonalities with (or inherit from) To Ngoc Van’s approach, clearly evidenced in his own sketches. These shared points are connected across four exhibition rooms, which are “Distillation and Simplification”, “Breathing life into characters”, “Metaphor and Iconography” and “Assemblage & Simultaneity” affirming the intimate relationship between form and idea in fine arts.

“Xăng-tên | S(a/á)ng tên” by Xuan Lam in the “Figuring a shape” exhibition. Photo: Phu Sa Art Foundation.

Editor: Trao

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