National museum shows a collection on Tet

Silk painting Di Cho Tet (Going to Tet Market) by Nguyen Tien Chung (Photo coutersy of VNFAM)

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum has opened an exhibition displaying 36 paintings from its modern fine arts collection on the celebration of coming Tet (Lunar New Year holiday).

The exhibition entitled Xuan Ha Noi (Ha Noi Spring) will give fine arts lovers an emotional journey of viewing Tet festivities in the past and scenes of the lively Tet atmosphere.

"Exhibition visitors will see from these paintings the traditional customs of people in Hà Nội to welcome spring and Tet," said Nguyễn Anh Minh, the museum director, at the opening ceremony.

The paintings Di Cho Tet (Going to Tet Market) by Nguyen Tien Chung, Cho Hoa (Flower Market) by Le Dung, Don Giao Thua (Welcome New Year's Eve) by Le Quoc Loc, and Giao Thua Ben Ho Guom (New Year's Eve in Ho Guom) by Pham Viet Hai depict traditional highlights Vietnamese people preparing for the biggest holiday of the year.

New Year's Eve is also strikingly portrayed in the works of well-known artists such as Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Trong Kiem and Tran Nguyen Dan.

Equally important are paintings depicting the outdoor activities and popular Ha Noi destinations during Tet, such as Pho (Street), Lang Hoa Ngoc Ha (The Landscape of Ngoc Ha Village), Go Dong Da (Dong Da Mound), and Tham Van Mieu (Visiting the Temple of Literature).

Nguyen Tien Chung's Di Cho Tet was painted on silk in 1940. It is perhaps the most notable among the Tet themed works. With strong emotions, the silk painting features ao dai (traditional long dress) fluttering elegantly with the two ladies' steps. Red highlights appear throughout the painting, on their shoes, scarves and lips, resembling small embers bringing warmth amid the New Year's chill.

Chung (1914-1976) was among the 20th century’s outstanding talents in modern painting with a bold oriental style that was also rich in national spirit. He was a versatile artist who could work with many mediums including oil, lacquer, silk and woodcarving.

His painting Di Cho Tet captures the scene in vivid, beautiful detail. Its aesthetic values, in terms of both colour and composition, transcend time and convey a delicate spirit.

Lacquer painting Don Giao Thua was created by Loc in 1957. The artist used lacquer technique with layers of light colours to create depth for the painting. The painting features children dividing small crackers in their house with their father sitting nearby. Outside are soldiers on patrol and people going out to welcome the New Year.

Both Chung and Loc studied at L'École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts d’Indochine (The Indochina School of Fine Arts) and they were posthumously awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Art in 2000.

Loc (1918-1987) was one of the most prized Vietnamese lacquer artists of the 20th century, along with Pham Hau and Nguyen Gia Tri. He was the deputy director at the Gia Dinh School of Applied Arts. He made significant contribution to the training of young artists in the fields of lacquer and ceramics.

Oil-on canvas painting Cho Hoa is a highlight of the exhibition. It depicts a crowd of people including sellers of typical ornamental plants and flowers for Tet. The artist did not focus on flowers and plants, but she drew a lot of people enjoying the flower market atmosphere.

"Springtime in Ha Noi with its distinctive beauty has always impressed and inspired artists," said Vuong Duy Bien, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.

"Many works of art on this topic become part of life for anyone living or visiting Ha Noi. The atmosphere, the nature, the scenery of seasonal change in spring, all these offer an endless source of inspiration for generations of artists."

The exhibition is co-held by the museum and the CMYK Vietnam Ltd Co, with sponsors including the Visual Arts and Technology Company and Panasonic Connect Asia.

It combines a conventional method of displaying the paintings with digital technology, projection mapping bringing new experiences of visual effects for visitors.

It will run until February 25 at 66 Nguyen Thai Học Street.

TB (according to VNS)