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Huỳnh Công Nhớ

The Death of Charlie, 2023

acrylic on canvas

51 x 76 cm

Inv: HCN_2023-025

[FR]Dans "The Death of Charlie" (2023), Huỳnh Công Nhớ dépeint une scène onirique et surréaliste où une silhouette pâle et contorsionnée gît, effondrée, sur un paysage aux teintes ocre et bordeaux. Des coups de pinceau amples et fluides, alliés à des tons pastel feutrés, confèrent au corps une présence ambiguë, comme en train de se dissoudre, suspendue entre vulnérabilité et immobilité. Le contraste saisissant entre la figure lumineuse et le sol sombre et fragmenté instaure une atmosphère troublante, où le familier devient étrange et où la frontière entre la vie, la mort et le rêve demeure insaisissable. Telle une réminiscence fragmentaire, l’œuvre invite à une réflexion sur la mortalité ainsi que sur la nature fragile et mouvante de la présence humaine.

[EN]In "The Death of Charlie" (2023), Huỳnh Công Nhớ evokes a surreal, dreamlike scene in which a pale, contorted figure lies collapsed against an ochre and burgundy landscape. Broad, fluid brushstrokes and muted pastel tones lend the body an ambiguous, almost dissolving presence, suspended between vulnerability and stillness. The stark contrast between the luminous figure and the dark, fractured ground creates an unsettling atmosphere, where the familiar becomes strange and the boundary between life, death, and dream remains elusive. Like a fragment of a half-remembered vision, the painting invites contemplation of mortality and the fragile, shifting nature of human presence.

About the artist

Huỳnh Công Nhớ

Vietnamese

b. 1991

Huỳnh Công Nhớ (b. 1991 in Đà Nẵng, Vietnam) stands out as an art brut (outsider art) artist, endowed with natural talent and a naïve approach that lends a unique sincerity to his creations. Entirely self-taught, he entered the art world through cinema, training in the prestigious Autumn Meeting program under the mentorship of filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng, a renowned workshop for promising young international filmmakers.
In 2022, Huỳnh Công Nhớ transitioned to painting, a medium where his raw imagination and intuition have fully blossomed. His works, characterized by evocative simplicity, transform cinematic imagery into static compositions while exploring the natural balance between inner rhythm and the external world.

His work focuses on interpreting personal human experiences within Vietnam’s socio-political contexts. Combining both a naïve and incisive perspective, he opens up endless possibilities for storytelling while reminding us of the importance of human connection and the power of stories told through various materials.

A recent selection of shows and awards of him includes: Afternoon Rêverie, 2024 Galerie BAO, Paris, FR; Hanoi Grapevine Selection, 2023, Hanoi, Vietnam; Thằng bé bán kem, Top 14 Excellent Projects - CJ Short films Project, 2023; Top 14 Xinê House Grant, HCMC, Vietnam, 2022; Nổ Cái Bùm Biennial Art Week, Da Lat, Vietnam, 2022 ; Grandma's Broken Leg, Youth Jury Award - Competition SEA Short Film - 32nd Singapore International Festival Film, 2021 ; Projet de court métrage Ghost Dog, Top 14 Short film project CJ Entertainment, 2021 ; Top 12 Short film project Honor Lotte Cinema, HCMC, Vietnam; 2021.

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