Tiếng Việt
Phan Cẩm Thượng
The Artist
1957 Hanoi
Born into a scholarly family, his father was the owner of a famous publication on Chinese traditional painting. As a child Thuong studied calligraphy, a skill which predominately appears in his current work. References to ancient Buddhist texts and temple inscriptions are visible in his art as he portrays the traditional rituals of the temples, religious stories and festivals of village life.
Thuong chooses simple and natural mediums, Chinese ink, natural pigments, handmade paper, and more recently the traditional silk, as their very nature accentuates the essence of his inspiration. His subjects consist of the world around him. Steeped in the Vietnamese culture ranging from a solitary monk in deep contemplation to a feverish masked dance festival, the totality of his work exudes a sense of the mundane merging with the divine.
Thuong’s works seem to urge one to ponder on the sublime, to allow oneself to go that one step beyond, to seek the mystery and wonder of life from the world that surrounds us. This serves to emphasize his role as an educator, as he gives his audience a historical, political and religious context through his paintings, for only then can one understand the true nature of Vietnamese art.
For many years as a teacher at the Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi, and a highly respected art critic, Buddhist scholar and author of several publications on Vietnamese traditions and cultural life, he is revered for his talent and intellect. His works are in the public collections of the American Museum of Natural History, NYC, USA and also the National Gallery Singapore, and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam.
From the wild west of Montana to the eastern shores.
From the wild west of Montana to the eastern shores.
The Root Of Tradition
In contemporary Vietnamese painting, tradition remains a fertile source of inspiration, continuously redefined by artists in their creative practices Tradition Reimagined in Vietnamese Contemporary Art In contemporary Vietnamese painting, tradition remains a fertile source...
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Solo exhibition
2022
The Muse Art Space, Hanoi Vietnam
Solo exhibition, “Woodcuts by Phan Cam Thuong”
Solo exhibition, “Ethereality”
1998
Hanoi College of Fine Arts, Hanoi
Artfolio Gallery, Singapore
Solo exhibition
1996
Red River Gallery, Hanoi
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
“Do” Viet contemporary art
2010
Au Co Gallery, Hanoi Vietnam
Traces and Traditions: Vietnamese Woodblock Prints International Print Center New York City
2003
Exhibition, “Brush To Block: Vietnamese Works On Paper”
2002
The Eastern Gallery, Chicago, IL
Exhibition, “Images Vietnam: Perspectives Of Leading Contemporary
Artists”
Exhibition, “Images Vietnam: Five Artists’ Perspectives”
Exhibition, “Tradition And Change: Contemporary Vietnamese Art”
Exhibition, “Dual Traditions: Vietnamese Works On Handmade Paper”
2001
The Landon Gallery, New York, NY
DJR International Art, Newport Beach, CA
The Landon Gallery, New York, NY
Exhibition, “The Ascending Dragon: Vietnamese Paintings Today”
Exhibition, “Images Vietnam: Four Artists’ Perspectives”
Exhibition, “Festive Frame Of Mind: Fine Contemporary Vietnamese
Art”
Three-person exhibition, “Vietnamese Shadows: Memories Of The Past”
2000
The Landon Gallery, New York, NY
The Eastern Gallery, Chicago, IL
Exhibition, “Poetic Reflections–Contemporary Vietnamese Paintings”
1999
The Landon Gallery, New York, NY
“Art Santa Fe”
Exhibition, “Cries, Whispers and Rememberances”
1998
NM Arts of Pacific Asia Art Fair, New York, NY
Pacific Bridge Gallery, Oakland, CA
Vietnam contemporary Painting Exhibition
Exhibition, Galerie La Vong
Exhibition, “A Winding River–The Journey of Contemporary Art in
Vietnam”
Two month residency
Two-person exhibition
1997
Bangkok, Thailand
Hong Kong
Meridian International Center, Washington, D.C.
Vermont Studio Center, VT
Johnson State College, Johnson, VT
Exhibition of calligraphy and painting with Nguyen Quan
1990
MEMBERSHIPS
Member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association
