Zen and now
The
National Gallery of Victoria has gone all Zen to showcase the
work of local Melbourne artist Kim Hoa Tram. Moon in Reflection
includes over 30 of Tram’s paintings and calligraphy pieces
from the permanent Asian collection; and will continue through
to the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Kim Hoa Tram (Shen Jinhe in Chinese) was born in
Saigon, Vietnam in 1959 to a family originally from Fujian province
in China. Kim migrated to Australia in 1984 and is now living
in Melbourne. For more than ten years Kim has immersed himself
in Zen, a form of Mahayana Buddhism that places emphasis on the
practice of meditation to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
In his art, Tram draws inspiration from his spirituality
in Zen and from his roots in the Chinese tradition, its art and
culture, especially Chinese ink painting and calligraphy. Since
1990, Kim Hoa Tram has held exhibitions in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Malaysia, Philippines, Canada, the United States in Australia
Dr Mae Anna Pang, Curator of Senior Curator Asian
Art, NGV said: “Moon in Reflection is a journey to spiritual
enlightenment and artistic discovery. The paintings and calligraphies
in the exhibition show the clarity, simplicity and humour of Zen.
In his work, Tram explores the human conditions of birth, old
age, sickness and death, all recurring themes in Zen philosophy.”
The emergence of Zen as a distinct form of Buddhism
was first documented in China in the 7th Century. The aim of Zen
is to discover the wisdom within through meditation and mindfulness
of daily experiences. Zen practitioners believe that this provides
new perspectives and insights on existence, which ultimately lead
to enlightenment.
“Kim Hoa Tram is painting in the Chinese tradition
but has injected it with creativity and originality, artistically
and spiritually. With evocative brushstrokes, Kim captures the
essence of his images; the essentials are achieved with a great
economy of means,” said Dr Pang.
A highlight of the exhibition is a set of two paintings,
Delusion and Awakening. Each painting consists of four panels
that are read right to left in a sequence of events. In these
compelling works, a bird motif is used to express the strong human
emotion that comes with spiritual awakening.
Dr Gerard Vaughan, Director, NGV said: “The
NGV has embarked on a program of collecting and exhibiting contemporary
Asian art. This ranges from radical experimental art from China,
often reflecting a post-pop Western style, to more traditional
form of landscape painting, to the work of Australian-based artists
born in Asia such as Ah Xian, Gu Wei, John Young or Kim Hoa Tram.
Kim Hoa Tram’s art breathes new life into traditional Chinese
visual forms, a contemporary artist inspired by Zen spirituality.”
David Edwards
