LYNX “Daily Discipline”

Gallery 456 in Chinese-American Arts Council

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Chinese America Arts Council / Gallery 456 presents LYNX: Daily Discipline, the first solo exhibition of Vietnamese-American artist Lynx Nguyen in New York.

Artist on the Exhibition

Daily Discipline is a project that I have been working on for over 7 years. Each day I try to draw a million tally marks on paper or canvas using ballpoint pen that is attached to a power drill as an act of discipline. Discipline sometimes carries a negative connotation because people associate it with punishment; however, my concept of discipline is to go inward, through self-introspection to improve and understand oneself. It is through self-control and self-recognition in order to master oneself.

I chose the ballpoint pen because it is reliable and can consistently create the same marks, which helps me to focus. Another aspect of the ballpoint pen that I admire is the sheen. For over 14 years as a traditional painter, I always try to search for a way to make my paintings come alive, but I can never do so with oil paint, acrylic, or watercolor. The ballpoint pen can produce powerful sheen that glows brightly when enough layers of ink build up on the surface of the material, like human nature. We have this brightness inside, just waiting to be excavated. The sheen is the spirit of the painting, the same spirit that animates the human body.

The process of creating a painting is labor intensive. Each piece has about 15-30 layers of ink. My goal is to cover the entire surface material until no white show through. Each piece has about 50 million tiny tally marks. I chose to cover my painting thoroughly and entirely because to me it shows completion, just like in life—I want to live a complete life, a life without regret.

LYNX (Lynx Nguyen) was born in Vietnam in 1985. He and his family moved to Atlanta in 1993 on a special government program to search for a better opportunity. The first 15 years in the United States was very difficult for LYNX and his family, mainly, due to language barrier and discrimination. However, because of the trials and challenges in life, LYNX was determined to learn and channeled his negatives experiences into his artwork to inspire message of peace, discipline, and kindness. LYNX graduated from Georgia State University in 2011 with a BFA in Studio Art. Four years later, LYNX earned his master’s degree in fine arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, which he focuses most of his effort on drawing, especially marks making, as a tool for self-discipline.