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La Ba Quan
'Thinking' Figurative Expressionist Portrait Painting

2011

About the Item

‘Thinking’ is a medium size vertical expressionist figurative oil on canvas painting created by Vietnamese artist La Ba Quan in 2011. Featuring a palette made of grey, soft blue, green and pink, the painting brings to mind the fascinating aura of a Chaim Soutine. This expressionist painting is dominated by the tortuous lines of the man’s silhouette, along with the tick texture and strong contrast of the various colors. ‘Thinking’ is one of a series of portrait paintings entitled "The emotion of an old man". Quan uses shades of black, grey skin tones and bright colors to accent the emotions of his figures. He creates extensive texture with thick layers of paint applied on his canvas with a pallet knife. In his own words: “Many men, many minds, many joys and sorrows too. Everyone has his or her own hapless things; less or more depends on a man’s characteristics and endurance. Men in a certain way can exchange segments of sufferings for entertainments, but with too many agonies inside they just keep all in themselves and considerately observe them in sad and painful silence. From time to time numerable human faces have shown up with tears or happiness. There are some blissful laughs, but people cannot conceal the past austerity and other grievous aspects. I have met many faces, from luxurious places to the end corners of many streets… Their wrinkles can show many portraits of indefinite as they are telling the world with their wordless stories that are finished only when men and women will not reserve their misery or bliss in life. I have painted them, depicting their joyful or sorrowful conditions and trying to narrate their living stories.
  • Creator:
    La Ba Quan (1976, Vietnamese)
  • Creation Year:
    2011
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Rye, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU425313320791
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