Artist Mai Châu and the exhibition viewers.

"Green Dream"

I first encountered Mai Châu's paintings at an exhibition at 3 Hoàng Hoa Thám Street, Huế , quite some time ago, featuring two oil paintings with a gentle brushstroke: "Dewfall" and "A Stroll on a Mini Car." Then, during the Huế Traditional Craft Festival in 2013, immersed in the activities and artistic atmosphere, I couldn't miss the oil painting exhibition by artist Mai Châu, held at the Liễu Quán Buddhist Cultural Center in Huế, simply titled "Green Dreams."

With 24 selected oil and mixed-color paintings from his artistic legacy and career, artist Mai Châu's paintings blend seamlessly into the vibrant colors of life.

"As long as I can still hold a paintbrush, my heart will still be overflowing with dreams. Those dreams are expressed on the canvases through shades of hopeful blue, so the exhibition of an old painter is given a very youthful name: 'Blue Dreams'," artist Mai Châu shared at the time.

His works are painted from the heart, a testament to the artist-Buddhist's process of experiencing "study, contemplation, and practice," telling stories about spirituality and life.

Artist Mai Châu came to painting with a passion for color, exploring and self-learning. His first paintings were created and were gradually received with appreciation by art enthusiasts. The colors in Mai Châu's paintings are gentle yet profound, connecting the past with the present, the old and the new, joy and sorrow...

Recently, I came across his paintings in Lieu Quan publications such as: Thuy Van Mountain - Thanh Duyen Pagoda, then Misty Tower, Linh Mu Pagoda in the Sunlight..., with his masterful brushstrokes, shimmering and graceful, imbued with a meditative quality.

Artist Mai Châu, whose real name is Mai Quang Châu (born in 1935), is from Kim Long, Hue. He graduated from Hue University of Education and then worked as a teacher at Tran Quy Cap High School (Hoi An), and later at Dong Khanh Girls' School (now Hai Ba Trung High School). He taught himself painting from 1970 and began painting in 1980. To date, his paintings have been collected by many collectors both domestically and internationally.

Zen meditation and compassion remain.

Although artist Than Van Huy (born in 1948) passed away in 2024, his oil paintings continue to evoke strong emotions and leave a lasting impression on art lovers, especially during the Buddha's birthday season. In the cozy setting of an ancient traditional house on the banks of the Perfume River in Thanh Tien village, Duong No ward, dozens of oil paintings are neatly and beautifully displayed, including seven paintings on the themes of lotus flowers, lotuses and young women...

In particular, the lotus flowers in artist Than Van Huy's paintings draw inspiration from the five-colored lotus flowers in the Lotus Sutra. These include the blue lotus, symbolizing the purity of intellect, and the pink lotus, representing the innocence of the heart and compassion. "Paper lotuses from the hands of artist Than Van Huy are lotuses of consciousness and aesthetic senses, shimmering between reality and dreams, imagination," Dr. Thai Kim Lan remarked after viewing the paintings and paper lotus flowers of artist Than Van Huy.

The image of the lotus flower has been ingrained in the mind of artist Than Van Huy since his childhood, when he followed his mother and grandmother to the temple to worship Buddha in his village. "Many people have praised artist Than Van Huy with many beautiful words. To me, Than Van Huy is a gentle and patient artist, passionate about art, and very conscious of traditional folk culture," Venerable Thich Hai An once remarked.

Text and photos: CONG BANG

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/hai-cay-co-gia-va-uoc-mo-xanh-166176.html