“Thiep ceramics” exhibition comes to Hue

A corner of the “Thiep ceramics” exhibition

The exhibition is curated by Le Thiet Cuong - a painter, and is held in celebration of the 75th birthday of the writer Nguyen Huy Thiep (1950-2025).

During his lifetime, Nguyen Huy Thiep was an author deeply passionate about visual arts, especially ceramics. He was a regular visitor to the Bat Trang pottery village and often immersed himself in the world of ceramics. He created numerous portraits of family members, hisself-portraits, and literary friends on ceramic plates as both a form of personal enjoyment and meaningful gifts. Many of these pieces are still treasured and displayed in homes as mementos of the writer.

All 41 artists participating in this exhibition are, first and foremost, readers of Nguyen Huy Thiep. According to curator Le Thiet Cuong, before they were painters, they were admirers of his writing. For that reason, he noted, the ceramic works in this exhibition should not be considered “illustrations” in the conventional sense, as that would diminish the value of both the literature and the art.

Instead, illustration here is better understood as a translation, translating literary language into the language of painting. That is, transforming words into form, color, contrast of light and dark, composition, brushwork, and structure… so that literature is given another life, and offers readers a new way to engage with the text.

In addition to the works by contributing artists, the exhibition space also features a corner dedicated to artworks created by Nguyen Huy Thiep himself.

The exhibition is open until July 20^th.