Sculpture solo Exhibition  “Soldier – Soldier’s wife”

Opening: Sat 23 Apr 2016, 5.30 pm
Exhibition: 23 – 27 Apr 2016
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum

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“SOLDIER – SOLDIER’S WIFE” is the 3rd solo exhibition by sculptor Thai Nhat Minh, following “The birds”in 2013 and “Breeding season” in 2014.

The exhibition has been prepared in 4 years (2013-2016) with the main materials of stone, aluminum casting, wood and iron.

“SOLDIER – SOLDIER’S WIFE” is a popular image in East Asia and Southeast Asia life and culture. Vietnam had been through so many wars in thousands of years, so the stories of soldiers leaving home and never coming back, of soldier’s wife embracing their children waiting in vain, have left a profound impact on Nhat Minh.

In culture and history, from “folk songs” to “Chinh Phu ngam” by Dang Tran Con, Doan Thi Diem, from “Vong phu thach” by Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Du, Cao Ba Quat to “Vong phu” by Han Mac Tu, Che Lan Vien, from epic “Hon vong phu” by Le Thuong to the stories of separation in the war, from Dong Son bronze arrows, Bach Dang wooden stakes to the remaining vestiges until today – those are the inspirations for Thai Nhat Minh to make this personal sculpture exhibition themed on “SOLDIER – SOLDIER’S WIFE”.

The exhibition consists of three parts:

Part 1 includes: 63 white stone statues portray women embracing their children, waiting for the husbands until becoming lonely stone statues with iron shadows. Their nostalgia lasts indefinitely in space.
The soldier’s wife statues represent many lives and feelings, from joy, sadness, worry, hope to peace and tragedy.

The material white stone is like the “waiting for husband stone”, which evokes a sense of purity, toughness, and also vulnerability.

The images of a soldier’s wife waiting in vain repeats throughout two spaces of the gallery, hopeless, without an ending point.

Part 2 includes: Approximately 150 iron statues divided into 21 militant groups, put on the tip of javelins with diameter of 13, 14cm; 3,5-4m in length, which portrays the soldier group that never came back.
The soldiers with primitive shields and weapons placed on the huge wooden weapons rush to a meaningless “game”, that shows a passive self-defense war with misery, chronic pain and hardship of many people.

About the author

Born 1984, Vinh Phuc province, Viet Nam.
2009: Graduated from Hanoi Fine Arts University – Sculpture Department
2012: Got Master degree of Hanoi Fine Arts University – Sculpture Department
Lives and Works in Ha Noi, Vietnam.
Thai Nhat Minh has over 10 years of experience in the field of sculpture and considered as one of the talented young artists today. He participated in many national and abroad exhibitions and camps as:
– Group Sculpture Exhibition “New Form” 2012, 2013, 2014
– Group Sculpture Exhibition “Hanoi – Saigon” 2012, 2014
– Group Exhibition “Asia art link” 2012
– National sculpture camp Dai Lai 2015
– Asia Contemporary vi/Art Show in Hongkong 2013, 2014
– Affordable Art Fair in Hongkong 2014, 2015
– Affordable Art Fair in Singapore 2014 and “Visual Art for ASEAN” in Thailand 2015

Awards:
– 2014. Award from The Vietnam Fine Arts Association
– 2014. Second prize of the 3th National Young Art Festival (2011-2014)
– 2013. Consolation Prize of National Sculpture Exhibition 10 years (2003-2013)
– 2011. Award from The Vietnam Fine Arts Association at National Young Art Festival (2007-2011)
– 2010. Consolation Prize of National Fine Art Exhibition(2006-2010)

“Soldier – Soldier’s Wife” is his 3rd solo exhibition, following two impressive exhibitions “The Birds” – Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 2013, and “Breeding season” – Manzi Art Sapce, 2014.