Five Elements
I was born, grew up and recently been working in the century where my country is exchanging Vietnamese culture with various cultures, among Western and Eastern cultures. Sometimes, I wonder whether there is any Vietnamese speciality remaining in such culture interference. I am going to make something different and unique based on usual things that I have seen in my life.
Inspired by the "Wu Xing" theory of Chinese philosophy which is applied mostly in many Asian countries including Vietnam, I try to make something new and input something called “Vietnamese” from the combination of many diverse cultures and styles.
In the theory of "Wu Xing", there are two basic principles: Mutuality: help, support each other to develop.
Inhibition: counter each other to maintain balance. Based on that, I have designed this work with differently graphical forms of elements. For example: Patterns are made up of symbols along with the combination from complex visuals and simplified images.
It is well-known that every element has its own emblematic animal as a symbol: Red Phoenix (Fire), White Tiger (Metal), The Black Tortoise/Snake (Water), Azure Dragon (Wood), Yellow Dragon (Earth). While they are the mythic symbols of majesty and power represented for Chinese culture; for Vietnamese, I need a different expression which is more familiar with Vietnamese characteristics of naïve, chastity and generosity. Therefore, I chose the common images of the Stork, Chicken, Buffalo, Fish, and Dog to express them.
