ASEAN
22 March 2014
"ImaginAsian" painting exhibition in Toronto
"ImaginAsian", the latest show at The East Gallery in Toronto, is a splendid exhibition of three leading female artists from Southeast Asia.
"ImaginAsian", the latest show at The East Gallery in Toronto, is a splendid exhibition of three leading female artists from Southeast Asia.
So do yourself a favor, and get along to The East Gallery at 334 Dundas Street West, just across from Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition runs through to June 9, 2013.
Women play a very important role in the rapidly emerging countries of South East Asia. And their dynamism can be clearly felt at this exhibition.
Born in Vietnam’s southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City in 1978, Lim Khim Katy is the daughter of a Cambodian father and a Vietnamese mother, both of them artists. “My inheritance includes a love of colour, a familiarity with brushes and an attraction to shapes from the time I first became conscious of the sun and the moon.”
She draws her inspirations from life experience and interactions with ordinary people, many of whom have endured hardship and suffering. “My paintings come from the feelings generated from the life around me, from people’s eyes, gestures and the individual emotions they express. I prefer watching the emotions that are expressed on the faces of people who have endured difficulties, because there are so many of them in Vietnam,” she says.
Her latest figurative work was inspired by the challenges facing young Saigonese women in a rapidly changing society. Using a well-honed impasto technique, she balances fine rendering with bright, painterly flourishes. And her two new landscapes are classic examples of the rich, unconventional palette which she had become known for.
Vu Thu Hien was born in Bat Trang village near Hanoi in 1970. She has won a number of Vietnamese art awards and has exhibited her work in Vietnam, the United States, Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel and England.
Vu Thu Hien’s watercolours are delicate, dreamlike, and at times haunting. Many of her paintings refer to the soul, to spirits and the afterlife. Her traditionally clothed figures are mysterious and real at the same time and are often embodiments of the spirits that influence human lives.
Her 4 new watercolours are delicate and dreamlike - as if a spiritual calm was manifested externally, into the environment and onto the faces of the people.
Khmer artist Yim Maline, though only 30 years of age, has already had solo exhibitions in France, Cambodia and New Year which have featured intricate installations, video art, drawings, paintings and sculptures. No doubt Yim’s confidence and versatility are due in part to her studies at very reputable art institutions in both Cambodia and France.
In this exhibition are 4 meticulously drawn graphite-on-paper drawings from 2010 and 2012. The two pieces from the “Scar” series are arresting – full of organic energy, pressure and movement. In two other pieces, Yim creates vivid and, at times, unsettling portrayals of childhood memories and feelings.
The art world of Toronto should be very grateful to The East Gallery’s owners, Andrew FitzGerald and Claudia Blume, for sharing with us their love of contemporary Asian art.
Don't miss this exhibition!!
ImaginAsian
Exhibition Dates: May 15 - June 9, 2013
Open daily from 9 am to 11 pm
The East Gallery,
334 Dundas Street West,
Toronto (across from Art Gallery of Ontario)
Open daily 9 am to 11 pm
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +1-416-705-4331
Executive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com
So do yourself a favor, and get along to The East Gallery at 334 Dundas Street West, just across from Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition runs through to June 9, 2013.
Women play a very important role in the rapidly emerging countries of South East Asia. And their dynamism can be clearly felt at this exhibition.
Born in Vietnam’s southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City in 1978, Lim Khim Katy is the daughter of a Cambodian father and a Vietnamese mother, both of them artists. “My inheritance includes a love of colour, a familiarity with brushes and an attraction to shapes from the time I first became conscious of the sun and the moon.”
She draws her inspirations from life experience and interactions with ordinary people, many of whom have endured hardship and suffering. “My paintings come from the feelings generated from the life around me, from people’s eyes, gestures and the individual emotions they express. I prefer watching the emotions that are expressed on the faces of people who have endured difficulties, because there are so many of them in Vietnam,” she says.
Her latest figurative work was inspired by the challenges facing young Saigonese women in a rapidly changing society. Using a well-honed impasto technique, she balances fine rendering with bright, painterly flourishes. And her two new landscapes are classic examples of the rich, unconventional palette which she had become known for.
Vu Thu Hien was born in Bat Trang village near Hanoi in 1970. She has won a number of Vietnamese art awards and has exhibited her work in Vietnam, the United States, Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel and England.
Vu Thu Hien’s watercolours are delicate, dreamlike, and at times haunting. Many of her paintings refer to the soul, to spirits and the afterlife. Her traditionally clothed figures are mysterious and real at the same time and are often embodiments of the spirits that influence human lives.
Her 4 new watercolours are delicate and dreamlike - as if a spiritual calm was manifested externally, into the environment and onto the faces of the people.
Khmer artist Yim Maline, though only 30 years of age, has already had solo exhibitions in France, Cambodia and New Year which have featured intricate installations, video art, drawings, paintings and sculptures. No doubt Yim’s confidence and versatility are due in part to her studies at very reputable art institutions in both Cambodia and France.
In this exhibition are 4 meticulously drawn graphite-on-paper drawings from 2010 and 2012. The two pieces from the “Scar” series are arresting – full of organic energy, pressure and movement. In two other pieces, Yim creates vivid and, at times, unsettling portrayals of childhood memories and feelings.
The art world of Toronto should be very grateful to The East Gallery’s owners, Andrew FitzGerald and Claudia Blume, for sharing with us their love of contemporary Asian art.
Don't miss this exhibition!!
ImaginAsian
Exhibition Dates: May 15 - June 9, 2013
Open daily from 9 am to 11 pm
The East Gallery,
334 Dundas Street West,
Toronto (across from Art Gallery of Ontario)
Open daily 9 am to 11 pm
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +1-416-705-4331
Author
John WestExecutive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com