Rendezvous of painting

Not only is it a famous tourist destination, Sa Pa (formerly Sa Pa town) is also an endless source of inspiration for artists. Amidst the majestic nature and peaceful pace of life, there are artists who have chosen Sa Pa as a permanent place to live, to feel and record the beauty of this place through each stroke.

Following the directions on Google Maps sent by artist Quach Bac in advance, we arrived at Ta Van Giay 1 village (Ta Van commune, Lao Cai province), then followed a small slope to a low-rise wooden house, nestled under the cool shade of trees. When I entered, I was impressed by the space he dedicated to creating and displaying paintings. A true artistic space in the middle of a highland village.

Quach Bac is a native of Hanoi , born in 1988, and studied at the Central University of Art Education and the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. For nearly 10 years, he has carried out many art projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However, 4 years ago, Quach Bac decided to leave the city and choose Sa Pa as his place to live and work.

“Why did you choose Sa Pa? For someone who regularly participates in artistic activities like you, this place seems a bit isolated?” - I asked. “I need a change of inspiration for my work,” - painter Quach Bac replied.

The wooden house where he lives is at the foot of Hoang Lien Mountain. The upper floor is designed as a homestay for tourists, the lower floor is a creative studio and art exhibition space - Art Hub.

There have been many activities organized by artist Quach Bac at his small art center, gathering painters, photographers, and artists from all over the country. Through art projects, he has contributed to introducing a beautiful Ta Van to friends near and far.

“So has this place entered your work?” I asked. “Of course. Because art reflects the places where artists have lived and passed through. My first project here was called “ Tourism ”, I exploited the cultural conflict between tourists and locals, reflecting their views on the daily lives of the people here and the rapid changes of this land”.

“I want to introduce Sa Pa in my own way, both beautiful and mysterious, through visual works. Not through words,” said artist Quach Bac.

“Lacquer painting requires humidity, Sa Pa has this advantage” - that is the reason why painter Khuc Quoc An decided to stay in Sa Pa.

Painter Khuc Quoc An used to be a sculptor. Works such as the statue of Le Loi (Thanh Hoa), the relief of Hoa Lo Prison... all bear his mark. After retirement, he had time to devote himself to lacquer art. Many times coming to Sa Pa, painter Khuc Quoc An realized that this is not only a poetic land, but also has ideal conditions for lacquer art to develop.

“In Hanoi, I have to build an incubation chamber, spray mist, and create artificial humidity to make lacquer paintings. In Sa Pa, the fog all year round and the naturally cool and humid climate are absolutely suitable for lacquer,” artist Khuc Quoc An explained.

In 2021, artist Khuc Quoc An officially moved to live and paint in Sa Pa. Not only is it favorable for his painting techniques, the climate in Sa Pa also helps him stay healthy - the most important thing for an artist over 70 years old. "Painting lacquer is hard work, and it's even more tiring when the weather is hot. It's cool here, I can work all year round," artist Khuc Quoc An shared.

After nearly 5 years of living in Sa Pa, artist Khuc Quoc An has completed more than 30 lacquer paintings of various sizes. Each painting took several months to complete, except for the elaborate “Muong Hoa Valley” which took two years to complete.

Currently, in a wooden house at the foot of the mountain, artist Khuc Quoc An is displaying 15 works, most of which bear the cultural imprint of the Dao people. Only when artist Khuc Quoc An introduced them did I truly feel the depth of his paintings, which bear the identity of the Dao people.

Not stopping at recreating costumes or surface motifs, but quietly delving into the cultural and spiritual world of the Dao people, things that, according to him, "lowlanders often just glance at and miss".

For artist Khuc Quoc An, lacquer painting requires slowness: “It cannot be painted in a rush. It must be layer by layer. Just like the culture of the Dao people, layer upon layer, it cannot be understood by just looking at it.”

Painter Khuc Quoc An introduces works inspired by Dao ethnic culture.

It is not until now that Sa Pa (a general place name before the implementation of the 2-level local government) has been chosen by artists. This land has long been a place of residence and creation for many generations of artists. The majestic nature, fresh climate, people and cultural identity here have created ideal conditions for painting to flourish.

Among them, we cannot fail to mention painter To Ngoc Thanh - son of famous painter To Ngoc Van - who considers Sa Pa his second home and has created thousands of paintings here. Painter Dang Tin Tuong opened a studio in Sa Pa in 2002, organized many solo exhibitions, notably "Sa Pa four seasons of clouds and mountains" with the work "Sa Pa in the season of clouds" which he spent two years to complete. At the age of seventy, painter Tran Luu Hau still regularly goes to Sa Pa every summer to paint, leaving behind many unique large-scale landscape paintings.

A work by artist To Ngoc Thanh about Sa Pa.

Today, Sa Pa is also the home of young artists such as Ha Hung Dung, the couple Pham Phan Hoang Linh - Trieu Quang Hung... They come, live and create here for a long time. It is the presence and constant creativity of generations of artists that have contributed to creating a meeting place for paintings and souls who love beauty in Sa Pa - where heaven and earth meet.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/diem-hen-cua-hoi-hoa-post879304.html