Street artists and nostalgic oil paintings of Nha Trang

Mr. Loc intently paints oil paintings - Photo: TUYET BANG

Images of young women in traditional Vietnamese dresses standing at the foot of the Thap Ba Tower, Nha Trang beach, fishing boats on the Cai River… were painted in black and white oil by Mr. Nguyen Van Loc (57 years old, residing in Vinh Hiep commune, Nha Trang) with great depth.

Mr. Loc said that he used to be a local tour guide, taking foreign tourists on sightseeing tours by motorbike.

Therefore, he can speak English, French, and Russian.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, disrupting his life, so he turned to painting to make a living, a practice he's been doing for almost three years now.

"I didn't learn to draw in any formal school; I was only taught how to draw with a pencil and sketch by an older brother. I learned how to draw details and landscapes on my own."

"My paintings are in oil and are only in black and white. These paintings are based on my memories of Nha Trang before 1964, because I was born and raised here," Mr. Loc said.

Mr. Loc said that tourists really like these paintings, and he can sell about 3-4 paintings a day. He used to display more paintings, but now that restaurants and supermarkets are crowded together, he can only choose to sit in one spot under a tree on the sidewalk.

A humble photo stall on the sidewalk.

A young woman in an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) and a cyclo driver on a deserted corner of Tran Phu street.

Fishing boats in Nha Trang Bay

"I sell paintings all day long because I can interact with tourists, so when they ask about the content of the paintings, I can explain it to them. Many tourists who buy paintings even treat me like a friend, sitting and chatting with me all day," Mr. Loc confided.

According to him, this painting couldn't be finished immediately because oil paint takes a long time to dry. Furthermore, the painting must have soul and emotion so that customers will find it attractive and want to buy it.

While admiring and choosing a painting, Ms. Le Thu Uyen (a tourist from Ha Giang ) shared: "I came to Nha Trang for a vacation and wanted to buy something as a souvenir. This is the only man on the whole street sitting and painting so attentively. Looking at his paintings gives me a very peaceful feeling, so I decided to buy one to support him."

Tourists stop to admire the street artist's paintings.

Mr. Loc has always maintained his passion for painting and preserved images of old Nha Trang.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoa-si-rong-va-nhung-buc-tranh-son-dau-hoai-co-nha-trang-20240406100311407.htm