Artist Mai Thi Kim Uyen: "Reflection on the heart in the vastness"

(GLO)- The closer the launch date of her solo exhibition “Stars in the Night”, the more restless the light beside the easel of female artist Mai Thi Kim Uyen becomes. Many times, the late night light blends into the first rays of the day to allow Uyen to be free to the end in her passionate search for herself.

One time, when the colors were playing on the large lacquer paintings, Uyen's mind suddenly popped up with the verses she had dedicated to her: "The twinkling stars/Reflect the heart in the vastness/Sadness and joy melt in the wind/Have you met me yet?".

Female painter Mai Thi Kim Uyen. Photo: Bi Ly

1. “Stars in the Night” is the second solo exhibition of female artist Mai Thi Kim Uyen - member of Gia Lai Literature and Arts Association, which will open on September 9 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

Previously, in 2023, Uyen successfully organized her first solo exhibition with the theme "Fancy Girls" at the same location; at the same time, she participated in a number of group exhibitions of female artists in Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi . She also had many works participating in the Fine Arts Exhibition of the South Central and Central Highlands regions.

In this exhibition (which runs until September 15), Uyen introduces to the audience 54 lacquer paintings, mainly large-sized (80x180 cm); in particular, the longest painting is up to 540 cm. Explaining the number 54 or the opening date of September 9, Uyen said she was impressed with the number 9. It is not simply a number, it is also a metaphor for a person's maturity in life and career - something she aspires to achieve.

Women are always the main subject in the paintings of artist Kim Uyen. ("Van Khanh")

Following Uyen's journey, we can see that she is maturing through her second solo exhibition. Around the age of 40, people have enough experience to look back and love the path they have taken despite the bumps. Uyen puts all of those experiences into her paintings: joy, sadness, self-questioning, pride... Still works full of femininity, still youthful faces full of modernity mixed with a bit of arrogance, fragility but containing many profound thoughts.

A prominent theme is the journey of finding one’s own path and staying true to it. The painting “The Primitive Road” depicts a winding, steep path with rustling reeds, fraught with danger, but a small figure still perseveres. The subject of the work is a girl calmly recalling the scene with the mindset of someone who has overcome it.

The work "The Primitive Road"

Drawing less, suggesting more is Uyen's style in the painting "Going towards the sun". It is also a small ladder leading the way in the vastness, under the shining sunlight. The bright moss color is used creatively in a lacquer work, as if covering the whole feeling of peace. A painting that she thinks does not have many details to look at, but has many things to think about.

“As long as we turn towards the sun, that light, which is also the light of thought, will give us energy. We feel like we are being guided to take each step of happiness, understanding life” - Uyen shares the inspiration for the work.

The other girls appearing in Uyen's paintings are also to face the silence and answer countless questions such as: "What is happiness", "What is my path"... to live a "brilliant youth", to give value to society, to "Give me and give you" in the middle of "A windy afternoon"... The strange and unconventional colors but still retain the elegance and grace of traditional lacquer create a special attraction in her paintings.

Viewers also love the free and open spirit of the works, where she expresses her gratitude to herself for her constant efforts and gratitude for all the love given to her.

The work "Brilliant Youth"

2. Artist Kim Uyen graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts Pedagogy at Hue University of Arts. After that, she became an Art teacher at an elementary school in Gia Lai , more than 40 kilometers from home. After more than ten years of teaching and pursuing her painting career, there were days when she worked until 2-3 am, Uyen realized that she needed to devote her love to painting, without sharing. She quit her job to the surprise of many people.

Poet and journalist Van Cong Hung recalled: “I used to worry and ask Uyen how she would make a living painting, especially now that she only paints large-sized lacquer, the kind of painting... aristocratic, very expensive material. And it turns out, I was worried... to death.” Uyen gradually shaped her own path. She also “lived well” thanks to painting, some paintings were ordered by art lovers before they were even finished.

The work "A Windless Day"

Seeing Uyen forget to eat or fall asleep next to a work of art, one feels that for her, painting is a religion. She paints diligently, as if afraid of not being able to express what is rising in her heart. Female artist Ho Thi Xuan Thu, who is famous for her lacquer paintings and has been a “torch bearer” for Uyen for the past few years, cannot help but be moved by her student’s artistic creative efforts.

“In real life, she is also a normal woman, a mother who takes care of her children, takes care of her family, saves up every bit of time to draw and live with her profession. Only when you get close to her do you know that she works from midnight to the next morning, sometimes drawing continuously without knowing how to rest or eat,” she said.

The work "Night Street"

When the works at Uyen's second solo exhibition appeared simultaneously at the studio, artist Xuan Thu was surprised: "The whole gallery gave me an impression like a flow of creative energy. The brushwork and technique are strong but not ostentatious, but master the movement of the emotional circuit in the heart (…). Looking at her paintings, we not only see ourselves in them but also understand what the young generation is struggling with and longing for. The paintings artisticize everyday life but are very poetic, like a glass of wine with a mellow flavor."

Every effort deserves to be rewarded. And the greatest reward, for Uyen, is probably meeting herself.

The paintings of female artist Mai Thi Kim Uyen are introspective but full of personality and romance, graceful like waterfalls of clouds. Uyen's works are often unconventional, with very distinct lines, unmistakable because of the modern touch on traditional lacquer paintings, awakening sadness, excitement and vitality, energy...

Meritorious Artist DANG CONG HUNG - Chairman of Gia Lai Literature and Arts Association

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/hoa-si-mai-thi-kim-uyen-soi-long-giua-menh-mong-post565830.html