Artist's footprints through architectural regions

Exhibition painting "The other side is the street", painted in watercolor on silk by artist Nguyen Thuong Hy. Photo: HL

Filtering images, the soul of the project

With 35 works on display, the exhibition offers vivid perspectives on architectural works, from bustling urban areas to mossy tiled roofs or works bearing historical and cultural marks across the Central Highlands. Painter Le Van, famous for his gentle, narrative paintings of landscapes, people, and street corners, brings to the exhibition a series of paintings of My Son temple, Kon Tum wooden church, Hoi An ancient town or hillside houses after the rain...

The watercolor paintings on paper evoke both nostalgic and pure emotions. Each of his brushstrokes is a distillation of the image, spirit, and soul of each construction or general landscape. For example, the two paintings "Tower in the Green Forest" and "My Son Temple" painted by artist Le Van in 2020 and 2021 vividly depict a My Son that is quiet, sturdy, but also mysterious, like the history of Champa embedded in each dark brown brick. Kon Tum wooden church, with its architectural lines blending Western and indigenous cultures, with a warm golden brown color, evokes a sense of tranquility and sacredness.

What is special about this series of architectural paintings is that the artists use light, an indispensable element in architectural painting, and consider it a “breath” that guides the viewer’s emotions. Light filters through the roof arches, reflects on the wet ground or shines through small windows, creating depth of space and depth of soul.

Participating in the exhibition with 9 paintings using diverse creative techniques including gouache, graphic prints on fabric, watercolor on silk, iron pen, watercolor on paper, artist Nguyen Thuong Hy wishes to convey to viewers a multi-dimensional perception of architecture, where there are not only shapes and materials, but also cultural stories connecting people and lands.

In particular, the artist's works do not stop at personal emotions, but extend to academic values ​​in paintings, especially when drawing temples or traditional folk architecture. The use of graphics - a technique that is considered uncommon in architectural exhibitions - into the works shows an effort to renew visual storytelling and expand the range of perception for viewers.

Painter Nguyen Thuong Hy expressed that, for him, architecture is not just static structures, but life, is petrified time. Each curved arch, each layer of tile, even the peeling walls contain layers of memories, culture and breath of people through each era. Therefore, when painting, he does not simply record the shape but seeks to open up the relationship between people - space - history. "I choose different techniques so that each work is like a separate slice of sophistication, emotion and perspective", he said.

Diverse artistic perspectives

The exhibition also features artists Tran Tam, Do Thanh, Tran Huu Can, with fresh, modern perspectives on urban spaces or historical buildings. Colorful streets or dawn on the Han River, Dong Dinh, Hai Van Quan, Tuy Loan Communal House and aspirations for a city rising in the future... are brought into the paintings in a rhythmic and lively way.

With his works, artist Tran Tam chose contrasting, vibrant colors on acrylic material to clearly show the proportions of the communal houses of Tuy Loan and Hai Van Quan; while artist Do Thanh calmly painted a woodcut painting of a corner of the Han River or a mossy Dong Dinh museum.

Artist Tran Huu Can brings 6 paintings with color blocks that are processed flexibly like a harmony between nature and architecture. His paintings are not elaborate in detail, but evoke depth through composition, balanced shapes and intentional minimalism, as he wants to convey the message that, in the midst of a bustling city, people always need a place to "breathe" and be at peace.

The exhibition space is designed as a flow, leading viewers from emotions to thoughts and dreams for the future. Architect Le Duc Vien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of S.CONS General Construction Joint Stock Company, representative of the organizing unit, said that the exhibition took place to celebrate Vietnam Architecture Day on April 27. The works are not limited in genre to bring a diverse and high-quality painting space.

“We hope to create a visual arts playground where artists, architects, and beauty lovers can talk together through the visual language of the building. What remains after the painting will be the beauty of the shapes and stories about heritage, identity, and the desire to preserve and develop sustainable living spaces. I hope the exhibition is not only a place to see, but also to think, feel, and love more the values ​​of existing architectural works,” Mr. Vien hopes.

HUYNH LE

Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202504/dau-chan-hoa-si-qua-cac-mien-kien-truc-4005845/