The Singapore Embassy in Hanoi presents this commemorative exhibition by Jeffrey Wandly (Singapore) and Pham Luan (Vietnam), depicting scenes of each other\'s country. Maya Gallery and Pham Luan Art House are delighted to support this event in celebration of friendship between the two countries. Perspectives: Commemorating 45 years of Singapore-Vietnam Relations will be held at the Cultural Exchange Centre in Hanoi, Vietnam, the exhibition showcases 20 paintings by Vietnamese artist Pham Luan and Singaporean artist Jeffrey Wandly.
The artworks displayed not only depict the landscapes in Singapore and Vietnam as viewed through the unique lens and experiences of the two artists, but capture the artists’ thoughts and feelings of attachment towards each other’s country.
Pham Luan has a special affinity to Singapore and has extensively used Singapore’s landmarks and landscapes as inspiration for his paintings. Through his works, guests will be able to appreciate the beauty of some of Singapore’s iconic landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands, the Botanical Gardens and Clarke Quay as seen from his unique perspective.
Similarly, Jeffrey’s fondness for historical Vietnamese landmarks is evident in his art. A regular visitor to Vietnam, he is particularly attracted to the unique architecture and street scenes of Hanoi and Hoi An, expressed through his own distinct style. Prominent landmarks of Hanoi, such as the Old Quarters and Metropole Hotel, as well as the ancient town of Hoi An, are easily recognisable in his works.
Perspectives reflect the close and vibrant cultural exchanges and people-to-people links between Singapore and Vietnam, and contributes to the friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.
Jeffrey Wandly has developed a distinct style and is fondly called the ”Building Whisperer” by collectors; his works reflect his sensitivities to the connections between people and their built environment. Sungei Road Thieves Market II (2017) captures the last operational day of the market in July 2017 where trade had no walls and grew community. This is a rare artwork where the energy and focus is not in the buildings; Jeffrey’s signature strokes are in the people and the market. By contrast, North Bridge Road III (2017) reflects the shifts in Jeffrey’s work since 2015 where the energy is literally exploding off the canvas and asking to be expressed on a larger canvas. In a more introspective work, Streets of Hoi An II, Vietnam (2017), is the intimate experience of a quiet side pedestrian walkway in Vietnam. Jeffrey has exhibited in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Hong Kong and given talks about his art and mentored young artists.
The first ever solo exhibition of Pham Luan was organised in Hanoi in 1991. After his second successful one-man show in 1994, his works sparked the interest of Galerie La Vong in Hong Kong. They invited him to have his first solo exhibition abroad at their gallery. Since then he has had 7 solo exhibitions with Galerie La Vong with great success. Not only successful in Hong Kong, Pham Luan also has solo exhibitions in New York in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2014. His paintings were also exhibited in London in 2003 and 2011. In 2015, Luan had a special exhibition of Singapore landscapes at the Fullerton Hotel Singapore on the occasion of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary. In 2008, HRH The Duke of York visited Pham Luan’s studio in Hanoi and added 3 of Pham Luan’s paintings to his private collection in Windsor. In 2014, Pham Luan was commissioned to paint 4 paintings for the art collection at the Vietnam National Assembly House. His paintings are also in the collection of the National Fine Arts Museum of Vietnam and in private collections in the US, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Hong Kong and Singapore.