Nguyen Lien Huong (*1988) is currently the deputy editor-in-chief of the culture and art magazine of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. As a relatively calm person, Lien Huong often expresses her thoughts and ideas through writing and drawing. Painting has been her passion from a young age, although she has never been trained at a professional art school. The first competition she took part in was "Nang K ..." by the Goethe-Institut in 2019. After that, she won the first prize in the "Hoa Mau" competition (2020).
Concept of her work
When I found out about the Goethe-Institute's topic Happy @ Home?, I imagined three topics that had to be expressed by three images: How did we live when Covid-19 appeared in Vietnam? How has the internet helped us in the days of social isolation? What are we doing after this pandemic? Passionate about using new materials in paintings, I'm using a mask this time - a very familiar item for everyone in this epidemic. In each picture, the masks are used by my daughter, my husband and me. Also, I use ropes connected in circles to create solidarity and connection between people. I have also participated in several events in the chain of the project “Culture labor” at Goethe Institute, a project that connects creative ideas of the cultural and artistic community. And I have shown part of this meaningful chain of activities in picture 2 (classical music concert, drama project Happy@home? ...).
In the role of the mask, I told three parts of my life during the Covid-19 epidemic: 1. TOGETHER; 2. CONNECTION; 3. NEXT.
And my story begins:
To date (September 7th, 2020) the Covid 19 pandemic has cost the lives of 887,404 people. Who am I in this violent pandemic? An item that people used to only occasionally use, now they have to use when they go to public places. One of the most effective ways of avoiding this terrible virus from spreading. Or a commodity that was sold at the peak for 10 times the normal price, sometimes even sold out. Yes, I am the mask. And today I would like to tell you three parts of my life story from the Covid-19 era.
PART 1. TOGETHER
I am like a roof and protect people from the dangers of the Covid-19 virus. When faced with the fragile boundary between life and death, people are realizing more than ever what is really needed most in this life? It's a roof full of healthy members. This is a rare opportunity for family members to hang out together. Happiness is so simple, but our busy lives make us forget about it. But there are still a lot of doctors, policemen, soldiers out there ... working day and night to protect the country and bring peace to the people. They look forward to returning to their families, but still put the task of fighting against the epidemic first.
PART 2. CONNECTION
I protect people, bring everyone feeling of peace and security like a sofa. Social isolation isn't quite as scary and annoying as it may seem. Spend this time together and connect with the world thanks to the incredible power of the internet. Global connections make it possible to sit at home and still take part in online meetings, watch drama, football, ballet or listen to online concerts. The circle will connect us with one another, there will be no distance in geographic space, no obstacles because of epidemics. The Culture labor helps us to combine, exchange and enjoy art and entertainment so that our spiritual life becomes more diverse.
PART 3. CONTINUE
What will our life be like after the pandemic? Life goes on as it is. People are back at the wheel of work, inseparable from the Internet and firmly connected like two gears in an engine. One thing is undeniable: the pandemic has resulted in people changing their minds and some habits, especially spending time together and sharing love - a gift that I always hide behind my mask.
