Nguyen Quang Huy’s paintings depict landscapes and portraits in hazy, predominantly blue and grey, almost monotone hues. With some portraits blurred, capturing movement, Huy depicts H’mong, an ethnic minority that lives in the mountainous area of Northern Vietnam where the climate is humid and misty. The artist spent years travelling the area, becoming familiar with H’mong’s way of living, traditions and the environment. The ephemeral nature of his large-scale, delicate and quiet paintings embody the atmosphere of the mountain spaces and the spiritualism of H’mong, who believe that all living and nonliving things – every stone, plant or animal – have a soul.
Written by Goldsmiths CCA ...
