Each of Huy’s sculptures depicts a unique pose, which can awaken viewers’ curiosity and imagination. Earlier, Huy was also curious about the discarded pieces of steel when he accidentally passed by a mechanical factory and used his imagination to dream of what to do with these pieces.
Contrary to the normal working process of artistic creation, when the artist often maps out his idea and then finds the proper materials to realise it, Duong Nguyen Huy was inspired by what he saw in discarded steel and brought a soul to the forms.
He then spent years learning how to make frames, broad and seal them together to make a “pose” for the work. Through his preparation for the exhibition, Huy now has become a skilled mechanic.
Although he put a lot of effort into attaching the pieces together, he tried his best to minimise the effect of forces on the material. He said no to such strong actions such as forging, flailing, bending and pressing in the process to turn the material into his preferred shapes.
He didn’t fix a style, theme or size for the works. The pieces he created are also untitled, letting the viewers be free in feeling the soul of the work and invent a name for the piece if they so wish.
Some of his artworks are depicted in understandable shapes, such as a snail, horse, god, banana, lobster, cricket, and knight Don Quixote. But others are more abstract and open to the interpretation of viewers based on their imaginations.
Architect Duong Nguyen Huy (Photo: VOV)
Although it is popular to see industrial-fine art projects in public spaces in Western countries, Vietnamese people have less contact with such kind of art. Therefore, Duong Nguyen Huy’s experiments with rusted metal have created strong impressions on visitors to his exhibition.
Through his creations, raw and discarded pieces of steel have been provided with “added value” which evokes deep thoughts and feelings among exhibition goers.
The exhibits are just part of Huy’s collection. The number of his pieces after years working on metal junks has grown into the hundreds.
The exhibition is just a space allowing him to slow down and look back on how far he has come with the project, and envision what to do next.
Although it is to soon to declare that Duong Nguyen Huy has opened up a new way for art creation; it can be said that he succeeded in providing a new experience for visitors and has sowed the seeds of hope for his upcoming projects.
