Le Quy Tong (b. 1977) graduated from Vietnam University of Fine Arts in 2000. Initially recognised for his allegorical painting depicting industrial and urbanisation landscape, his practice has undergone a conceptual shift over the past 2 decades, expanding across a diverse range of media, from painting and printmaking to sculpture and installation.

Emerging in 2003 and reaching significant milestones with the solo exhibitions “True blue” (2015) and “True gold” (2016), Le Quy Tong’s art has evolved through a sustained inquiry into the nature of time, memory, and history, examined from multiple perspectives. Drawing on a wide range of source materials, including traditional materials, decorative motifs, and imagery found in mass media, alongside screen-printing techniques, he deconstructs, fragments, and layers these elements within his works. By stripping source materials of their original contexts and subjecting them to successive transformations, he dissolves the boundaries of predetermined narratives, opening up a space for unrestricted interpretation. Rather than asserting absolute truths or falsehoods, each work occupies a productive grey area, inviting viewers to explore its possibilities without being confined by preconceived notions.

The selected works by Le Quy Tong presented in “In a shared world” serve as direct metaphors for the human condition amid the upheavals of our time. He detaches photographic source material from its localised contexts, transforming it into a form of shared memory. At the same time, the interweaving of seemingly opposing sets of data allows the works to reflect both the uncertainty of existence and the enduring human need for connection. In doing so, they articulate a series of propositions that unfold between different perspectives on interdependence, empathy, and the shared values that bind us together in a world of perpetual transformation.