The Kentaur
by PHUC VAN DANG · Copenhagen, Denmark

Phuc Van Dang was born in Vietnam and came to Denmark in 1981. He studied graphic design and has worked with design, concept- and product development. Today he utilizes this background in his diverse work as an artist, where he explores themes such as identity, belonging, human nature and community engagement, and as a cultural facilitator he creates new connections between art, design and communication. He has exhibited both in Denmark and abroad: Norway, Japan, Spain, USA, Vietnam, Cambodia. In addition, he has participated in live painting at music festivals, street art festivals, Fashion Week and various events.

Over a course of several years, he has worked with the black line, and he uses only black paint in his murals and paintings. However, this limited colour choice is not a reduction, but an intensification. Uninflected with brushstrokes or colour variation, the black paint is dense and saturated, and his almost meditative focus while working with a can of black paint and a single brush becomes a vision of being present in the moment. The black line can be seen as an interpretation of the shadows in life, within a shadow lies the past, the present and the future. His work is a fusion of painting and design, and he portrays human conditions, emotions and nature through visual fables, finding balance between the abstract and the image.

He creates workshops for children in schools as well as art museums, during art festivals and in different communities or projects both in Denmark and abroad. His workshops engage children in art experiences and storytelling, which encourages problem solving, critical thinking, confidence and creative skills and initiates conversations and deeper reflections. During his workshops, he focuses on storytelling as a means to let children immerse themselves into the process of creating art.

He often enters into collaborative projects with different brands e.g. in the fashion or retail industries or within the media. There is a freedom in these collaborations, enabling him to add new value to products and reach a broader audience with his work. He believes in the diversity of art and its flexibility and adaptability, and by collaborating with retail brands, he bridges the gap between art, design and commercial products and enters into dialogues with new objects and aesthetics while maintaining his own identity and visual expression.