In the years since his 2013 solo exhibition In The Midst Of Life at CTG, Ngo Van Sac’s profile has continued to rise as the artist has dedicated himself to developing the techniques, the materials and the aesthetic that have defined his artistic practice. Most immediately identifiable as an artist working in wood burn, Sac is a skilled painter and engraver who works across a variety of materials. Below are some recent words from the artist about his wood burn and wood engraving works.
Ngô Văn Sắc
Cô Gái Vùng Cao 4, Highland Girl 4
2022
Wood burn, acrylic on wood
120 x 79.5 cm
“The human theme is ever present in the great majority of my works. When I burn wood it’s not just burning a thing, but at the same time it is creating a new life and story for the wood. I think the interesting thing about making art is not just looking at it after it’s finished, but the process of preparing to make it. I like to carefully choose the wood grains in my materials, and arrange them appropriately for the portraits I’m about to make.”
Ngô Văn Sắc
Chủ Nhật 2, Sunday 2
2022
Wood engraving, acrylic on wood
116 x 112 cm
“I always find wood burn works interesting, especially wood grains. Each wood grain is a story of nature and is always changing. I like to depict human characters on the wooden surface, where we see interesting collisions between people and nature. And the best thing here is the randomness when the portraits appear on the wood grain. They are always unexpected and random and I the author sometimes do not know in advance what will arise from them.”
“For more than twenty years, I have spent about ten hours of every day working at my studio. If I didn’t destroy many works that I didn’t feel satisfied with, I would have an excess of more than the current existing number of my paintings. I am lucky because I still research and have my own way of practicing art and my paintings have found favor with some collectors.”
Ngô Văn Sắc
Cô Gái Vùng Cao 5, Highland Girl 5
2022
Wood burn, acrylic on wood
120 x 80 cm
“Sometimes I envision the titles of my works before drawing; sometimes after finishing the works. When I sit facing a completed piece, I will give it the appropriate name. Highland Flowers or Highland Girls are my impressions of facial expressions, costumes, and other specific characteristics that are found and formed in the northern highlands of Vietnam.”
Ngô Văn Sắc
Cầu Long Biên, Long Bien Bridge
2022
Wood engraving, acrylic on wood
95 x 108 cm
| TG is open from 12-5pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays and otherwise by appointment. Location: Craig Thomas Gallery, 27(i) Tran Nhat Duat Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. CTG mở cửa từ 12-17 giờ, từ thứ Ba – thứ Bảy và theo lịch hẹn trước. Địa điểm: Craig Thomas Gallery, 27i Trần Nhật Duật, Phường Tân Định, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. |
Email: cthomasgallery@gmail.
[ P ] : +84 (0)903 888 431 Craig
Website: www.cthomasgallery.
Feature image:
Ngô Văn Sắc
Cô Gái Vùng Cao 3, Highland Girl 3
2022
Wood burn and acrylic on wood
120 x 75.5 cm
