Mossy temples, royal mausoleums, ancient pagodas and the beautiful scenery granted to the former capital city all together form an “urban poem.” And that beauty of Hue is even more gorgeous through eyes of talented painters.

Dozens of paintings, considered rare treasures by generations of Hue’s renowned artists, have just been unveiled to the public. These works are now displayed at Lebadang Art Space of the Hue Museum of Fine Arts (No.15 Le Loi Street, Thuan Hoa Ward). The 75 pieces showcased in this exhibition belong to an art collection that the Museum has patiently and devotedly gathered over many years.

Once considered “trendy” yet “hard to appreciate”, in recent years, the hobby of collecting artworks has become a familiar passion for many people, especially Hue people, who live in a land rich in culture and art.

Doan Quynh Nhu’s paintings are her concerns about nature and people which are felt and shared by the viewer.

More than 20 paintings in a variety of materials, yet sharing the same story of Hue, have been created from inspirations of the moon and the wind, expressed with fresh emotions.

The collection of fine art works of Hue Museum of Fine Arts grows steadily year by year. However, a worthy exhibition space for these works remains an unfulfilled wish.

I visited Dang Mau Tuu’s Song Nhu Gallery many times and realize that he paints a lot about Hue gardens. Each of his paintings tells a story about trees, people, and “fragrant” silences.

On July 29, Ms. Dinh Thi Hoai Trai, Director of Hue Museum of Fine Arts stated that the 8 paintings were created by 7 artists using various materials; in which, there were some paintings by artists whose works were already part of the museum’s collection.

Noticeable was the opening of the oil painting exhibition by Hoang Nhu Thuy An at Lieu Quan Buddhist Cultural Center. Hoang Nhu Thuy An is Hoang Nhu Bua’s pseudonym, born in 1948, originally from Cau Hai (Cao Do) in Phu Loc, Hue, but currently living in Da Lat. The special thing is that all those paintings were painted after his stroke culminating in hemiplegia. He has learnt to paint with his left hand since then.

From scraps of fabric seemingly destined for the trash, two students: Dong Nguyen Nhat Minh (Grade 6) and Lai The Tai (Grade 7) from Khe Tre Town Secondary School (Phu Loc District) have assembled them into vivid collage paintings that tell the story of their village, inspired by a deep love for Co Tu culture.

The stunningly beautiful carved images on Cuu Dinh (Nine Dynastic Urns) inside Hue Imperial City have become even more fascinating and unique as they have been transformed into wood-carved paintings by a group of experts and artists.