Description

The artwork centres on the search for historical, cultural, and heritage identities that are gradually fading in contemporary life. The artist uses an old mirror to recreate and blend the image of "Chinh Bac Mon" - the Northern Gate of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - with the bullet hole in its wall, a wound of history, as the focal point. The contrasting colour palette and metaphysical spatial expression evoke a shifting, dream-like state of memory. This work engages in a dialogue with collective memory, where the past and the present coexist, urging viewers to reflect on how they face their cultural legacy.

Description from "UOB Painting of the Year" Exhibition, 2024.