Phan Thanh Toan

Pham Thanh Toán

(born 1992, Quang Binh, Vietnam) is one of the rising figures in contemporary Vietnamese art. A graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts (2012–2017), Toan lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. His paintings explore themes of memory, conflict, rebirth, and the psychological tension between human fragility and resilience. Drawing on memories of his rural upbringing, Toan creates large-scale oil and mixed-media works that balance intensity and reflection.

Pham Thanh Toan’sI Don’t Believe, I Don’t Listenis a raw, visceral expression of resistance and inner turmoil. Painted with thick, impasto oil strokes, the work pulses with physical energy and psychological tension. A muscular, almost monstrous figure dominates the canvas—part hero, part anti-hero—emerging from an explosion of colour and emotion. The character’s contorted features and aggressive stance suggest both defiance and vulnerability, embodying the conflict between personal conviction and the noise of collective belief.

The chaotic palette—yellows, reds, blacks, and acid greens—creates a visual confrontation that mirrors the title’s refusal to conform or be persuaded. Toan’s intense, tactile surfaces invite viewers into a struggle between faith, doubt, and identity. This work exemplifies his ongoing exploration of existential themes through bold figuration and emotionally charged abstraction, marking him as one of Vietnam’s most fearless contemporary painters.