The Destiny of Coming to Painting: The Watercolors of Artist Truong Van Ngoc

A familiar story for any art collector usually begins with finding a painting for their new home. And that serendipity led me to artist Truong Van Ngoc to purchase my first painting.

At that time, my family moved to a new house and I wanted to hang a painting in the living room. Through the introduction of mosaic artist Ngo Duy Cuong (I will write about his work later), I found Ngoc's studio. That was in 2023, Ngoc's rented studio was on the 3rd floor of a house in Phu Thuong village.

My first impression of Ngoc was that he is a young artist with a simple lifestyle, you could say a bit "old" compared to those born in 1990. The lovely studio has a tea room outside decorated in a gentle Japanese style: A wooden table, floor cushions, a tea set, a Buddha statue, and a vase of flowers. Around the tea table are Ngoc's paintings, mainly in watercolor and acrylic.

Back then was the time Ngoc often painted lotus. Truong Van Ngoc's watercolor lotus paintings were already quite "famous" and truly distinct. As someone with Buddhist philosophies, I felt that Ngoc's paintings lean towards peace, serenity, and something very "classy". Ngoc has his own minimalist style that is deeply personal.

Another thing I like about Ngoc is his adaptability and willingness to change. When he became famous for watercolor landscape paintings, he switched to painting lotus; when his watercolor paintings of lotus on paper reached their peak, he switched to Chinese ink, then silk paintings. Regardless of the medium, Ngoc is still Ngoc, still possessing a very distinct "ego". A lotus painting hung in the living room brings a sense of stillness and meditation every time I return home - a gentle balance after a long day of stressful work.

I invite you to admire the works of artist Truong Van Ngoc that I have been fortunate to collect.

Dr. Do Vu Anh