Minh Lan Tran

I came from You And I Return To You, I, 2026

Fourth Wall, 3, 2026

Substrate, 2026

Fourth Wall, 2, 2026

Eurasia, II, 2026

Fallll, 2026

In the works presented here, Minh Lan Tran approaches the painted surface as a veil between life and death. Working across linen, latex and glass, she uses the material properties of each support to absorb, transmit or reflect light, so that every painting negotiates opacity and translucency, materialisation and dematerialisation. A restrained palette of ochres, greys, blacks and pale whites allows forms to emerge before receding into the surface. The compositions develop through layering, erasure and inscription, balancing gestures of disruption with acts of repair. Tran works with materials already transformed through burning, grinding or suspension, including charcoal, ink and mineral pigments, allowing their histories to remain present. Together, the paintings circle around the question of incarnation, exploring how matter acquires presence.

Minh Lan Tran’s paintings approach the image as a form that resists any stabilisation of meaning and total legibility. A space of tension opens between the work and the viewer, where what is perceived remains partial and unstable. Her canvases are permeated by an elusive force, marking the distance between presence and perception. Tran also works with installation and performance, and has engaged with forms of protest, notably acts of self-immolation in certain Buddhist traditions.