The two artist friends

The winding Silk River flows down to the Imperial City and then down to the ancient town of Bao Vinh. Reaching Dia Linh village, the river widens, reflecting the surrounding landscape. Painter Tran Van Mang lives here. This year, both of them are around 80 years old. Painter Mang was happy to see us driving back up to Huong Ho to fulfill our promise to visit the ancient town of Bao Vinh. It had been over a decade since he'd been able to visit his friend. He said cheerfully:

- I still paint every day. When I wake up and see the river, I want to paint, and each time I paint, the colors are different. The rivers, mountains, and sky here are an endless source of inspiration. Lately, many collectors and museums have also come to see and select paintings.

He is creating a series of vibrant paintings. Colors of sunshine, mist, present and nostalgic moments, full of emotion. The melancholy of Hue's rains and old streets also come alive with the warmth and vibrancy of a approaching summer.

The meeting between the two artists (in the middle) who decided to "paint until they no longer have the strength to mix colors."

The car traveled down the Perfume River in the gentle afternoon sun. It passed through the ancient town of Bao Vinh. The ferry terminal to Tien Non was quiet in the afternoon. Dia Linh is a charming village on the banks of the Perfume River. The artist couple Tran Van Mang and his wife have a lovely house in an alley just a few dozen steps from the riverbank. The path is paved with pebbles, and the garden is filled with flowers, as well as impressive installations and sculptures on display.

The two artists happily embraced after a firm handshake. They continued to address each other informally, reminiscing about old times and new, like two schoolboys, even though their hair had turned gray and they often had to use gestures because their hearing was no longer good.

Artist Tran Van Mang, famous for his 50-meter-long painting on burlap sacks at the Hue Festival 2006, is continuing his work on the sequel to "Rural Market," intending it to be a painting over 400 meters long that could stretch across the Truong Tien Bridge.

- We're getting on in years, but that's okay, we just pick up our brushes and stand in front of the canvas to paint. Hue is a beautiful place that provides us with an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

The stories of the past bring them back to the cheerful smiles of those romantic young men of yesteryear. They recall Buu Chi, Hoang Dang Nhuan, Dang Mau Tuu... friends who once painted together, who shared late-night drinks while listening to the waves of the Perfume River lapping against the boat. Some are still alive, some are gone, but their stories of painting continue to be told in the hearts of those who admire them.

- We used to study and paint together. Back then, selling a painting wasn't enough to buy ten kilograms of rice to feed our children. Where would we get the money to buy canvas, paint, and brushes? We have to thank our wives for their care and love, which allowed us to paint until today.

Artist Tran Van Mang takes a cup of tea from his wife's hand:

- The market for Hue paintings is slow. But we paint because we're passionate, because we love Hue. Hue is so beautiful. We'll keep painting until we've used up all the colors of Hue! Sometimes, standing in front of the canvas, with a surge of emotion guiding me, I feel like I have to be very quick and precise to get what I want onto the canvas.

He proudly displayed hundreds of abstract paintings, expertly preserved in wooden crates. We admired the street scenes he had hung throughout the hallways, staircases, and living room. Old and new streets appeared, each rendered with impressionistic or abstract brushstrokes, a torrent of emotion.

In the front yard of painter Mang's house, there was a trellis of unusual flowers with pale yellow blossoms that were very fragrant. I was touched when painter Nguyen Van Tuyen wanted us to take a commemorative photo together because "who knows what tomorrow will bring, and it's difficult to meet again now."

Evening had fallen by the river. As they parted ways, the two old friends insisted, "We'll keep painting until we no longer have the strength to mix colors!"

White Leaf

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/cuoc-gap-cua-doi-ban-hoa-si-154394.html