I’m passionate about my painting and drawing of abstract cityscapes and landscapes which represent the physical and metaphysical world. I often begin by hinting at realistic subjects, but inevitably I move toward abstraction, so in my works, images of figuration and abstraction twist together.
My recent paintings are all part of a series which is intended to convey a unified body of work. The series begins with an idea, then it is translated through the technique of the contemporary artist into a visual language which I hope will have direct and emotional impact on viewers. My work reflects my obsessive and yet restrained attention to things both organic and man-made that are part of the city and our environment. For example, technology intrudes on our natural world, often polluting or even destroying it. Machines and weapons of destruction often make it difficult for people to live in a healthy way and in harmony in cities and on the land. The land is eroding. Political crises occur on a daily basis, causing great harm to people and societies. I see these things happening not only here in America, but around the world.
I am especially concerned that in my homeland, Vietnam, my people are suffering from the effect of war and poverty, and have few resources to deal with their many economic, technological and social problems. In my paintings, I contrast traditional Vietnamese ideas of culture and identity with the complexities of life in the western world. And so in my work, memory, intuition and intellect all come together in my personal visual language.
In order to have a direct emotional impact on the viewer, I experiment with line and color, innovative brush strokes and textures, subtle variations in tone, freedom of movement. I particularly like black and white because it is dynamic; its bold contrasts of light and dark areas challenge the viewer to focus on the images. Even more than color, I find that black and white carries emotional power that touches the heart.
I am inspired by traditional art forms, and these do find their way into my work, but I attempt to create a contemporary visual language that connects my social commentary with my aesthetic.