Huỳnh Công Nhớ: The Gaze That Remembers

Huỳnh Công Nhớ’s paintings are characterized by a bright, almost childlike use of color. His instinctive, dancing brushstrokes create an intrinsic rhythm within each composition. These brushstrokes, akin to the movement of a camera lens, guide us through moments that oscillate between reality and imagination, the personal and the universal. 

As a self-taught artist who entered the creative world through filmmaking, Huỳnh Công Nhớ brings a film director’s perspective to the stillness of painting. Whether depicting figures, animals, or simple still lifes, his works radiate vitality, unveiling the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.

Though not a Catholic himself, Huỳnh Công Nhớ grew up under the care of nuns in a church. His belief in a transcendent energy remains deeply ingrained in both his life and his art. Most of the human figures in his paintings are faceless. Yet, they are present everywhere—crowded, busy, always in motion. Each figure bears a halo above its head, symbolizing faith, hope, and potential. The people in Nhớ’s paintings are both projections of childhood memories and embodiments of his profound belief in an invisible force that resides within the physical world.

His still-life paintings, meanwhile, transport viewers into another facet of the artist’s reality. Through bold yet tender color palettes and a playful sense of form, Huỳnh Công Nhớ invites us to reconsider the magic within everyday objects. These objects are not mere passive items, easily subdued. A coffee cup beside a sugar jar, two rocking toy animals seemingly engaged in conversation—they all exist independently, untouched by the artist’s control. They are not staged according to carefully calculated compositions or the golden ratio of classical painting; nor is the lighting meticulously adjusted to frame them as focal points. Instead, they live their own quiet, uncurated existence.

Through brushstrokes as innocent as those of a child, Huỳnh Công Nhớ reminds us that even the simplest moments in life can hold infinite beauty and possibility. As humble observers, we must take care not to disturb nature’s perfect arrangement.

This exhibition is a collaboration between Gallery Medium (Ho Chi Minh City) and Galerie BAO (Paris).