Folk culture of the village within the city.

Cự Đà, where artist Nguyễn Quốc Thắng, his wife, artist Nguyễn Bình Nhi, and their son currently live, is also a source of inspiration for his artwork. It's a famous ancient village in Hanoi , approximately 400 years old. Here, many well-preserved traditional Vietnamese houses from the Northern Delta region are still located along the Nhuệ River, and it's also a traditional village specializing in vermicelli and soy sauce production.

Everyday life in Cự Đà village shares similarities with the childhood of artist Nguyễn Quốc Thắng. Memories flow by, filled with peaceful colors and childhood games, from summer days spent basking in the sun catching cicadas and stink bugs, swimming in the river, wandering across the ferry dock to fish for shrimp and fish… to games with the girls like jump rope, volleyball, making Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns from tin cans, making masks from cardboard, and drawing grotesque faces of oneself.

Before embarking on a professional art career, painter Nguyen Quoc Thang, with his rebellious nature and intolerance of constraints, often reacted strongly when he felt forced into a rigid framework. During his exam preparation, his teacher quickly recognized these weaknesses, so he enrolled in the Traditional Graphic Arts Department at the Vietnam Fine Arts University. According to Nguyen Quoc Thang, traditional graphic arts training methods differ from painting. This field requires artists to cultivate a specific style and precision in terms of form, lines, composition, rhythm, and the transition of light and dark colors.

Over 50 artworks were displayed in the exhibition "Coming Home" - the second solo exhibition by artist Nguyen Quoc Thang, which recently took place. All 50 works were painted using a single medium: old newspaper powder. The 50 artworks harmonize with the visual rhythm of rooftops, landscapes, folk games, and ancient festivals in a village on the outskirts of the city. “He prefers using strong colors like pink, lemon yellow, orange, lime green, green, blue, and flag red… but artist Nguyen Quoc Thang knows how to emphasize and restrain the right elements in each composition of his paintings, using white like fluffy clouds to create a sense of balance. The peaceful landscapes hidden within the ancient village appear ethereal under the light of the colors, sometimes fiery red, sometimes fiery yellow, captivating the viewer and bringing them closer to childhood. He seeks freedom in his own imagery and style to create a sense of unrestrained romance, knowing how to choose the beauty of the distant past while still feeling close. This is also how he skillfully celebrates the beauty of festivals, which originate from folk consciousness, borrowing nostalgia to express his own unique perspective in the mysterious and sacred world of boats.” Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Bien shared.

Powdered pigments on old newspapers are the medium the artist has been working with for the past 10 years. “As everyone knows, to a greater or lesser extent, about powdered pigments, a simple yet very emotional medium for me…” shared artist Nguyen Quoc Thang. “This medium allows me to express and reveal my emotions and ideas in a very short time. With powdered pigments, old newspapers or traditional Vietnamese dó paper each have different strengths; however, dó paper doesn't quite capture the same fluffiness as newspaper… In the technique of powdered pigment painting, I am just a descendant of my predecessors, and I don't dare say too much about the technique, but I would like to share a few things: when painting with powdered pigments, you should maintain humidity, paint quickly, and besides, the quality of powdered pigments today is very good.”

Newspapers have a short lifespan, with information useful for only one day, but through the spirit of the artist, they are preserved for a long time, serving as a backdrop for the vibrant lines and colors in the love of folk culture… More than 50 paintings on display were selected by artist Nguyen Quoc Thang from nearly 400 works he has created over a decade, stemming from his deep love for the cultural spaces of villages and the outskirts of Hanoi.

From his first solo exhibition, "Cự Đà Village View," in 2020, four years later came the exhibition "Returning Home," both sharing the same theme that artist Nguyễn Quốc Thắng wanted to convey: his life intertwined with temples and pagodas in the village landscape of Northern Vietnam. This "Returning Home" exhibition is the culmination of 10 years of work by artist Nguyễn Quốc Thắng and his love for the folk culture of the villages in the Northern Delta, specifically focusing on the scenery of Cự Đà village, on the outskirts of Hanoi, as well as its rich traditional folk festivals.

Besides themes of culture and customs, his paintings also feature another important element: residential architecture. “The architecture is very different between villages and cities. In contrast to the urban landscape, the architecture of Cự Đà village offers a warm and intimate setting. Cự Đà village combines and blends Vietnamese and French architectural styles, creating a very practical living environment for the villagers. The gables on the roofs are very impressive and they provide inspiration and emphasis in each painting.”

Many people associate ancient villages with a sense of profound tranquility, but a village without people, customs, and traditions has no value. However, when there are people and festivals, there is vitality, spirit, and vibrant colors; these must be folk colors, authentic colors. The essence of an ancient village then emerges through these emotional colors, not profound tranquility.”

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/hoa-si-nguyen-quoc-thang-net-van-hoa-dan-gian-cua-lang-trong-pho-10292886.html