Written by Anna Itkonen
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Thanh Lyons is a Vietnamese-born visual artist living and working in Melbourne. Her vivid, imaginative canvasses tell stories of the beauty of nature and Thanh’s reflections and experiences with it.
Thanh has always been passionate about all things creative: cooking, drawing, and music, and she has given her all to anything that allows her to be creative. Saying this, an artistic career was not her initial plan. “I have explored this creative part of me ever since I was a child. It was only recently, though, that I realised that time is too precious not to do what I was good at and passionate about.”
Thanh Lyons
Thanh has experimented with various mediums, from photography to resin, and slowly found acrylics. “Acrylics is the most suitable medium to display my vision and inspiration. It is the nature of the acrylics, the beauty, and the vivid colours. This represents happiness and cheerfulness to me,” Thanh described. “But it is also the elemental part: earth is the force of gravity moving the paint, air is the force that manipulates the paint, water is used as one of the main ingredients, and fire, or heat, activates the paint. Nature is crafted through forces, and I like to use the same principle. It brings my art closer to nature.”
“I also like science, and I like to play with different mediums. The chemistry of the different components and how they come together intrigues me. This is how I develop my art style.”
Morning Delight | 123 x 93cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
Thanh’s canvasses don’t often have a fixed composition; they simply represent a notion of building the painting slightly upwards to create lift and guide the gaze. The colours and the surface of the painting create flowy and harmonious depth, the beautiful natural blends of the landscapes. The colours soothe the mind and bring tranquillity to her work.
Star Burst | 120 x 60cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
For Thanh, inspiration comes from the beauty of nature or the energies of her urban surroundings. It can be the feel of the wind or the sound of rain that evokes a feeling in her, and it is that feeling she depicts in her art.
Bay of Golden Sand | 76 x 76cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
“I want to describe that feeling and turn that moment into something physical,” Thanh said. “I then envision the colours, how I can create the feel of the wind or the sounds of the rain in colours. I think about how to manipulate the elements and trial tools and techniques to create a tangible feeling in the physical work.”
Infinite Canyon | 185 x 125cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
“With my chosen medium, I cannot paint over it. To be honest, I stopped counting how many canvasses I deserted. I respect my work and how it comes out. At this stage [of my career], I feel I have more control over what the artwork will be like. The colours, composition, and inspiration are all me, but during the creative process, I let myself merge with it, work with it and embrace it. My job is to enhance what is beautiful and remove what is not. Every move should be thoughtful, never wasteful.”
Midnight Blooms | 76 x 76cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
Thanh uses hairdryers, palette knives, straws and tweezers to manipulate the paint. Her favourite tool is the hairdryer, with its air and heat together providing a gentler force than fire or a torch, and doesn’t kill the chemistry of the components. The palette knife, then again, stretches the paint to create the lacing effect.
“I want the viewer to see beyond the colour in my art; the more you look, the more you see. I want the viewer to get into the flow of the painting, let their imagination flourish and have a bit of a journey inside the artwork.”
Spirit of the Earth | 185 x 95cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
“Being an artist is quite emotionally challenging, but there is a lot that I don’t think I would have ever achieved by doing anything else. I hear stories from people who have purchased my work and the happiness it has brought them, which really touches me. Every time I have a down moment, I think about those people,” Thanh said. “My artwork will change someone else’s life or day. I get to touch hearts and souls and create smiles and happiness. I feel I am a doctor for the soul.”
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