An artist is painting at the exhibition space
Introducing the country and people of Vietnam
In France and Switzerland, the 5 painters and a Vietnamese-French painter Vo Thi Ngoc Tien introduced to the international public the typical images of the country, the people and the essence of life in Vietnam. Each painter has a unique style and a distinct choice of material: watercolor, tissue paper, fountain pen graphics, acrylic and oil paintings. They portray many aspects of life with different methods and perspectives, creating diversity for the gallery.
The works of Nguyen Thi Hue are a series of portraits that express a range of emotions: sadness, thoughtfulness, happiness... The paintings by To Tran Bich Thuy have a touch of meditation as they describe the human journey to find happiness. They also show the harmony between people and nature.
Images of young women in the ao dai, of stilt houses along the river, of street vendors, and of the bicycles which are close to the daily life of Vietnamese people in general and Hue in particular, were shown in acrylic paintings by Hoang Thanh Phong. Hoang Thanh Phong also impressed the public by sketching portraits directly in the exhibition space.
In the city of Saint Jean de Daye in Normandy (France), the artists also participated in a fine art exhibition with artists from other countries such as Canada, America, England, and France, celebrating 75 years of defeating the Nazis.
The exhibition recreated many images and memories of the Second World War. The artists from Vietnam participated in the exhibition with works showing the aspiration to live and work to build a new life of the people post-war.
The painter To Tran Bich Thuy shared that she was very happy to participate in this European trip: “Not only was this an interesting life experience but it also brought inspiration and stimulated creativity. Certainly, there will be works showing images and emotions in this European exhibition. Going out into the world is a way for artists to reflect and find out what they should do and what need to be changed on their journey of creativity. Learning from European art, each person draws for themselves the experiences, models, and methods of composition ...”.
Exchanging and connecting
From the connection of Mr. Tibor Strahle, a Swiss architect who loves painting, the artists were invited to exhibit at his gallery in the city of Le-Mudis. Mr. Tibor has collected many paintings of Vietnamese painters so he always wants to introduce Vietnamese art in Switzerland to the public who love art and to the Vietnamese people in Switzerland.
After that, Ms. Nguyen Thi Du, a Hue person living in France, helped the artists to connect and organize exhibitions in France so that the Vietnamese artists' paintings had the opportunity to be introduced.
Nguyen Thi Hue, the painter, said: “The trip offered us the chance to exchange ideas and network with painters in Switzerland and France so that we could introduce them to the exhibition organization in Vietnam later on. Next year, some of us will return to France to exhibit and teach the techniques of silk painting and lacquer paintings for art lovers. If we have to learn oil and acrylic painting from Europeans, silk and lacquer are the strengths of Vietnamese painters”.
In France and Switzerland, many people came to see the exhibitions. They enjoyed the Vietnamese artists' paintings and bought many paintings to add to their collections. In the exhibition, each artist was given a private space to draw directly, creating an effective interaction between the artist and the audience.
Hoang Thanh Phong, the painter, said, during an exhibition at the Saint-Lô Contemporary Center in Saint-Lô city in Normandy, France, the mayor of Normandy expressed his feelings: "This exhibition is a bridge between your country and our country. With colorful colors and diverse styles, this is a great exhibition of friendship and connection.” The mayor himself invited painters to come back for another exhibition and to show how to "fly draw” for art lovers.
The painter Nguyen Thi Hue said: "In France, a lot of tourists come to Montmartre hill to see art performances and this model is completely applicable for Hue. Hue has large teams of painters and music artists who are working professionally. The city needs to create space for artists on pedestrian streets, forming a cultural space highlight. The venue could also be in the Inner Citadel or in public spaces where artists can both perform and sell traditional music records ...”.
Story: Trang Hien - Photo: provided by the artists