Biography

Vu Cong Dien (1976) is well known for his landscape paintings that depict serene and tranquil scenes, with misty twilight reminiscent of a dream. A sprawling field dotted with a few rooftops stretches out, while rolling hills merge with the horizon, forming expansive, enchanting spaces. In this setting, the trees appear peculiar and extraordinary, boasting round or oval canopies that resemble vibrant "balloons" reaching towards the sky. Occasionally, an entire forest of trees is mirrored on the pristine surface of a lake. These trees spin a tale of fantasy, a realm filled with colors and artistry. In this dreamlike kingdom, Vu Cong Dien seems like a tiny figure, forever lost in that enchanting world.

In Dien's words, “I ran towards Nature as if I was looking for a serene harbour in which my mind could roam in boundless grasslands and hilly slopes that stretch to the horizon. I wander in the Nature’s Zen realm where I could apparently immerse myself in an ocean of feelings and emotions to taste them piecemeal and then express them in my painting. One day, I suddenly realised that the creator had borne men with all the living creatures, flowers and vegetation to ultimately integrate them into one entity.”

Dien's landscapes are not mere reflections of reality; they are his own imaginative creations, brimming with fictional ideas. Whether it's fields or the sky, houses or trees, a single tree or an entire forest, these familiar and quintessential painting motifs serve as a canvas for the artist to freely alter colors, experiment with materials, and let his imagination soar in an endless visual playground. Dien's artworks transform like a vibrant, intricate kaleidoscope. They evoke a sense of thrill about the four seasons, capturing the rare moments of seasonal transitions, the enchanting beauty of dawn and dusk enveloped in twilight, with colors that are mysterious, strange, and surreal. It feels like a paradise or a serene, dreamy nostalgia reminiscent of fairy tales.

Shifting our focus back to Vu Cong Dien's landscape paintings, we can perceive his artistry as a bridge connecting the East and the West. On one hand, there is his personal brushwork and oil painting techniques, influenced by Western impressionism, while on the other hand, there are the Eastern aesthetics that consistently embody symbolic, magical, and colorful elements. This fortunate and enchanting connection has given rise to the distinctive characteristics of Vu Cong Dien's artwork. It can be asserted that this is also his significant contribution to the vibrant and diverse landscape of contemporary Vietnamese fine arts.

Vietnamese contemporary artist Vu Cong Dien was born in 1976 and graduated from the Hanoi Fine Arts University in 2005. One of the young artists that Thang Long Gallery supported from his early career since 2006 with exhibitions that we organized domestically and internationally. He has only been on the professional scene for nearly a decade with works being in high demand in Europe, Australia, the US, and Japan. Dien brings a fresh approach to his landscapes often using color in unusual combinations. At other times, he uses mono and dichromatic color schemes to achieve a sense of tranquility and peace.

Dien's works were extremely well received at his exhibition in Vietnam, Dubai as well as Tokyo and are quite difficult to come by since he takes time to paint with meticulous attention to detail. Dien’s works are currently being carried in galleries in Singapore, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Finland, Belgium and Hanoi.

1976: Born in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam

2005: Graduated from Vietnamese Hanoi Fine Art University Member of the Club of Young Vietnamese Artists

Exhibitions

2016: Participation at the Art Auction of Operation Smile Vietnam in HCMC.

2015: Participation at the “Art for Heart” Charity of Heart Beat Vietnam in HCMC.

2008: "The Dreamy Land of Vu Cong Dien" at Thang Long Gallery in Hanoi, Vietnam

"Through Their Eyes" at Toriizaka Art in Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Thang Long Gallery

"The Dreamy Land of Vu Cong Dien" at Sutherland Arts Gallery in Singapore

2007: “The Colors of The East" exhibition at The Red Gallery, Dubai, UAE, a joint-venture of Thang Long Gallery, Hanoi

Show at Toriizaka Art Gallery in Tokyo, Japan.

Group exhibition at Panasia Gallery in Zurich Switzerland.

Group exhibition at Durlance Fine Art in London, UK

2006: Group exhibition at Toriizaka Art Gallery in Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Thang Long

Group exhibition at Thang Long Gallery, Hanoi,

Show at Arch Angel Gallery in Hong Kong.

2005: Group exhibition of students in the Fine Art University

National Fine Art Exhibition, Hanoi

2004: The Club of Young Vietnamese Artists

2003: Group exhibition of students in Australia