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| The “Memories Illuminated in Color” exhibition space by Hoang Dang Khanh and Tran Anh Huy |
In the early days of the Lunar New Year, the elegant French-style building at 23 - 25 Le Loi Street, by the poetic Perfume River, draws visitors into the exhibition space on display throughout the Tet holiday, featuring works by the two Hue-born artists of the same generation: Hoang Dang Khanh and Tran Anh Huy.
Interestingly, both are sons of well-known painters in Hue’s art circle. Khanh is the son of the late painter Hoang Dang Nhuan, while Huy is the son of the late painter Tran Mau Loc. Their artistic encounter thus feels like a continuation of a legacy passed down through generations.
Dozens of paintings by the two artists are arranged within a space that is both classical and romantic. Here, viewers witness a compelling dialogue between two palettes and styles: one vibrant and radiant with sunlight and energy, the other gentle, contemplative, and imbued with the subdued tones of winter. Through distinct techniques, Khanh and Huy transform personal memories into a visual performance, where every brushstroke carries emotional weight.
Hoang Dang Khanh guides viewers into a quiet realm of memory, where time seems to slow and space contracts into deep stillness. His paintings reflect an introspective lifestyle, with each color filtered through a mist of contemplation. He leads the audience back through time toward old spaces, hazy urban scenes, timeworn streets where even a simple window can evoke reflections on the past. His works, much like his personality, are inward-looking yet inviting, drawing viewers closer to layers of emotion beneath the surface.
Khanh said that he often creates art centered on the stream of memories drawn from his own experiences, on the land where he was born, as well as in the places he had the chance to visit during his youthful, dream-filled and untamed years. From there, he seeks to use the language of painting to interpret spaces, fleeting memories, and the experiences he has lived through and explored.
“These are also the things I am searching for in life. I don’t follow any particular school, everything I paint comes naturally, like a form of confession. I’m not pursuing any fixed notion of beauty either, because to me, beauty is a kind of perfection that is always sought after but never fully attained,” he reflected.
Meanwhile, the works of Tran Anh Huy, although somewhat contrasting in color palette when placed alongside those of Hoang Dang Khanh, share a certain harmony in their perspective on memory. Huy’s recollections focus on the radiant beauty of the present, expressed through bright, vivid tones. As a result, bustling street corners, crowded flows of people, and rows of old houses in his paintings all convey a sense of freshness and optimism, brimming with hope.
Huy explained that changes in light, the brilliance of nature, and everyday street life serve as inspiration for his works: “Being able to convey my emotions through art and share them with those who resonate is what I strive for”.
In this way, the collaboration between Tran Anh Huy and Hoang Dang Khanh in “Memories Illuminated in Color” resembles a symphony that blends soaring, radiant notes with deep, contemplative tones. Though both artists depict familiar spaces, their use of color reveals two distinct dimensions of memory.
During these early spring days, standing before their paintings, art lovers may find echoes of their own emotions, and perhaps fragments of their own memories reflected on each canvas.