E.M.I.L.Y.

Emily Dao (Truc Ahn Dao)

MAY 4 – MAY 30, 2021

“E.M.I.L.Y” is short for Essence, Mystic, Inspiration, Labyrinth and Youth, and these are the best words to truthfully describe the exhibition, as each of them has a very special meaning. “Essence” resembles the vital role of expressing emotions in painting since what makes the artworks attractive is the livelihood and the sympathies that are seen through strokes of paint; “Mystic” represents the implied meaning under each painting, in which different opinions and feelings are developed; in period of times, artworks could be very dissimilar from each other, with different styles and colors, as there are many outside influences that affected the creations and the word “Inspiration” embraces it; “Labyrinth” is the enchanted spell that blindly attracts the people’s eyes to the paintings, and the last word, “Youth” is the endless energy and enthusiasm from a young mind that is transmitted to blank canvases. 

Artist Statement

     The everlasting beauty is on paintings. No matter how pretty the flowers look today, tomorrow, it might not be the same, and in the near future, it will slowly die. Nature charms us with all kinds of beauty, and if we do not take advantage of it, there are enchantments that will never come back, and as an artist, I consider it as a waste. For me, conveying all the prettiness of life through colors means not only could I show an appreciation to nature, but also give everyone an opportunity to see the beauties of the world. What I really want is that every time people look at my paintings, they could imagine a beautiful atmosphere, with the sounds of the leaves rustling by their ears, and the sun and the breeze lightly illuminating their skin, like what I saw and felt while painting those pictures. 

Artist Biography

     Emily Dao (Truc Anh Dao) was born in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2006. Growing up trying many different arts, Emily showed great talents and interests in a variety of things, especially music and painting. For a period of time, she was heading towards a career in playing the piano, with provincial and national performances. Despite the gifted musical sense, Emily could feel her passion for art growing everyday. For her, spending time in front of the canvases was becoming more inspirational than sliding fingers on the keys. Since she was a little kid, Emily appeared to have a great instinct for seeing the world in its true colors. In the two-month summer holiday of 2015, when she was only 9 years old, Emily was having art classes almost everyday, and with her brother, they created more than fifty paintings. At such a young age, Emily was already exposed to different amazing landscapes around the world, and developed a broad vision towards the beauties of nature. Inspired by the impressionist artists, especially Claude Monet, Emily’s paintings are very expressional and lively. Her choices of colors are very diverse, both vivid and dark tones; her brush strokes are strong and definite, and they reveal her characteristics of being a dynamic, positive and youthful person. Her enthusiasm and her innately unique sensation of colors not only is depicted in landscapes paintings, but also in portraits of people. Through Emily’s eyes, the world is just a colorful ball and her artworks beautifully reflected all the pures of nature.