Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Van Tran 

BA [Hons] Art

Van Tran is a painter specialising in watercolour and oil. He works primarily with portraits, landscapes and more contemporary arrangements. He is interested in expressive compositions, which respond directly to his own feelings about his subject matter. He strives for honesty in his practice and seeks to communicate a sense of what is happening within his own mind, sometimes incorporating fragments of images and objects in his compositions. He has exhibited in IADT student shows such as New Translations (IMMA, 2019), Afterthought (United Arts Club, 2020), and Propositions (IADT Campus, 2022).

Project Description

For this upcoming exhibition, Van set out to create a large work that is composed of multiple elements. It includes a series of small paintings of objects as well as figures that are deeply connected to his life during the past few months as he dealt with the isolation of the pandemic. These paintings were made with an intention of expressing an undone feeling. He is especially interested in exploring and communicating a sense of something that is incomplete, and moments that are fleeting. Through his work he wants to send out a truthful message to his viewer and connect with them through his paintings. He also wants to present his works in this way so that people can find their own meaning in his art.