ARTISTS
Craig Thomas Gallery
Jan 11 - Jan 25, 2019
A solo exhibition, 'The Happening' by a Vietnamese artist, Phạm Thanh Toán was held at Craig Thomas Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City from 11th to 25th January 2019. The exhibition was of a collection of his works with a deep-shaded, strong brushstroke and religious motifs that gaze into the abyss, with an extremely strong impact.
The up-and-coming artist, Phạm Thanh Toàn was born in Quang Binh, Vietnam. His family was not materially blessed, and he lived by catching fish from the river. When he was a child, he drew pictures of dogs, chickens, houses, and fruits on the ground, and when he became an elementary school student, he painted a lion like Picasso used to. It can be said that from that time, he had an interest in art without even realizing it.
After that, a turning point for becoming an artist came to him, and he advanced to a Military Academy but did not continue to paint at that point.
One day, when he happened to be strolling around the gallery at the Fine Arts University of Ho Chi Minh City in a sad mood, he saw the students doing lessons enthusiastically, and he was so absorbed in them. When he got home, he decided to quit the Military Academy so he could learn to become an artist.
After entering the Fine Arts University, he became thoroughly educated at the basic level. However, at school he was primarily educated to become a teacher, so he immersed himself in self-study outside of class in order to devote himself to his art, such as reading books about European art history and the lives of each artist to better understand the path he had chosen.
Currently, he is searching for the best contemporary artists from other countries like Germany, the United States, and China on the Internet to find out where the trend in the arts is heading. For the future, he is continuing his creative work with the goal of bringing his works to international museums of contemporary art, such as those in Germany, the United States and Singapore, as well as aiming to get his artwork to be collected by international collectors.
'Passage Through the Land of the Gods',
2018
Oil on canvas
300 x 250 cm
One of Phạm Thanh Toàn's most confident works is the 'Passage Through the Land of the Gods'. It is said that the work depicted with motifs like religious paintings was strongly drawn into the world of his own work during the production process. When the painting was completed, he seemed to have forgotten himself so much that he didn't even understand how the chandelier part in particular was painted.
Then, after he posted his work on Facebook, he immediately received an inquiry from a Catholic priest about purchasing it, and a Catholic art collector also wanted to buy it. He seemed very surprised about why the priest wanted to purchase the painting which expressed a bizarre obsession. Then the priest said, "There is a tremendous sacredness hidden in the picture".
'Love'
Oil on canvas
185 x 210 cm
'Avarice'
Oil on canvas
200 x 290 cm
'Joyful'
Oil on canvas
158 x 158 cm
'Joyful 2'
Oil on canvas
151 x 194 cm
'Self-portrait'
Oil on canvas
180 x 240 cm
Large-sized works, reminiscent of religious paintings with the rough and bold touch of Phạm Thanh Toán were extremely powerful and touched viewers from the inside.
Phạm Thanh Toàn
Born in Quang Binh, Vietnam
Education:
Culture, Arts and Military University
Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University
Solo exhibition:
2018 King, Craig Thomas Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City
2016 Phạm Thanh Toàn's Exhibition, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association
Group exhibition:
2017 Son, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum
Biennale Young Fine Arts IV Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum Phạm Thanh Toàn's Fine Arts Exhibition, Gallery Tự Do, Ho Chi Minh City
2016 New Works, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum
2015 Asian Students Camp, Young Art Festival, Korea
2014 Saigon's Lacquer Paintings, Applied Arts Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University Biennale, Ho Chi Minh City, Applied Arts Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University Zone 6 Exhibition, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum Students' Paintings Exhibition, Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University
Award-winning history:
2017 C Sharing Prize, Exhibition Region of Ho Chi Minh City
2016 Investment Prize by Arts Council of Ho Chi Minh City
Craig Thomas Gallery
