Vietnamese artist turns plastic waste into artworks
Vietnamese artist Nguyen Quoc Dan brings discarded materials to life in debut Hanoi exhibition, themed plastic waste concerns.
THE HANOI TIMES — A quiet revolution is taking place at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) in Hanoi, not with protest banners, but with bottles, broken mannequins, discarded wires, and weathered plastic.
In his debut exhibition, artist Nguyen Quoc Dan transforms discarded materials into powerful visual narratives that awaken conscience and imagination.
Artist Nguyen Quoc Dan and his striking artworks. Photo: VCCA
Titled "Regenerated Matter – Materia Retana," the exhibition features 50 striking artworks made entirely from recycled materials, transformed in Dan’s hands into vibrant, abstract installations that pulse with energy and meaning.
“For me, the art of regeneration begins with understanding the material. Every piece of waste carries its own story, a unique cycle of use, discard, and, hopefully, rebirth," said Dan.
The exhibition is more than a showcase of creative ingenuity, but a call to reflect on the state of the human living environment.
Like many countries, Vietnam grapples with growing plastic waste that threatens rivers, soil, and the ocean, affecting people's life.
The space of the art exhibition.
In Dan’s work, the environmental crisis becomes tangible through sea- and earth-worn plastics and fast fashion’s waste that exceeds fabrics, dyes, and synthetic remnants.
Curator Do Tuong Linh described the collection as "a heartbeat under the plastic layer to listen and recognize the resilience and potential within what we discard."
Dan, who referred to his unique approach as "anti-cubism," has long explored unconventional materials and industrial scraps in his art. However, this exhibition marks a new chapter in which artistic expression merges with ecological consciousness. Here, art becomes a social message and a mirror held up to the consequences of human excess.
An artwork is created from used rubber gloves by artist Nguyen Quoc Dan.
Through color, form, and raw materiality, "Regenerated Matter — Materia Retana" invites audiences to reconsider their interaction with materials. The exhibition suggests that people’s awareness can also be reshaped toward a sustainable and responsible future.
As visitors wander through the exhibition's vivid, otherworldly spaces, they are reminded that beauty can be found in the forgotten and that healing can begin with recognition. Change starts not just in policy or protest, but also in perception.
The art exhibition will be open to the public until September 7, 2025.
The exhibition suggests that people’s awareness can also be reshaped toward a sustainable and responsible future.
The exhibition serves as a warning about humanity's exploitation of nature and its unsustainable use of materials.
