The street artist in Hoi An

TPO - Amidst the characteristic yellow walls of Hoi An, it's not difficult to find the figure of a rugged man sitting by the street, immersed in the scenery with watercolors and paintbrushes. That's Le Dac Tu (born in 1987) - an artist from Nghe An province, who fell in love with Hoi An since his high school days.

Hoi An is home to…

Artist Le Dac Tu. Photo: Khanh Doan.

Having lived and painted in this land for over a decade, Tú has created 3,000-4,000 paintings. Rainy days, sunny days, and gloomy, windy days in Hoi An all find their way into his paintings with countless nuances. Anywhere on the streets can be a stopping point for this artist born in the 1980s to immerse himself in the world of painting.

Artist Le Dac Tu sits and paints by the street. Photo: Provided by the artist .

Watercolor is the primary medium in Tú's works. Although he has painted this place many times, the ancient town in his paintings is never repetitive; on the contrary, each slice and story of Hoi An is told through a harmonious and unexpected combination of many watercolor shades.

"A single street corner can inspire hundreds of paintings, because the core principle is what you want to say, what you want to express," he said.

Some watercolor paintings by artist Le Dac Tu. Photo: Provided by the artist.

Having maintained his inspiration to paint Hoi An for 12 years, Tú says that every day he goes out into the town is a special day. Painting has become his life.

"I just want to continue leisurely painting on the streets every day. The paintings I sell to customers will be a way to send them a memento, helping them preserve something of the city they've visited," he confided.

Although his paintings have reached many art lovers around the world, the artist still speaks of his works with humility and simplicity.

He expressed: "My paintings aren't intended to have a grand purpose or to create this or that. Perhaps what I'm most confident about in my work is its energy. The paintings I complete are all because I want to paint, not because I'm trying to paint them to sell to customers."

Hoi An is rich and colorful in the paintings of artist Le Dac Tu . Photo: Provided by the artist.

"I'm not afraid of losing my inspiration to paint one day, because I think the streets, the houses, the place where I live are just the outer shell. If I still want to paint, I will never lose my feelings. Hoi An has become my second home, and it's hard to lose your feelings for your home," Tú shared.

Special vibrations

For Ho Kim Thach (born in 2000), Hoi An is the place that nurtured the artistic soul of this young artist from the very beginning of his artistic journey.

"Hoi An has very subtle cultural blends from East to West; it's like a multi-faceted art exhibition," Thach said.

Artist Ho Kim Thach is passionate about sketching. Photo: Provided by the artist.
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Although living and working in the heart of Da Nang , Thach still dedicates much of his time to returning to the ancient town to paint. "Hoi An gives me a sense of inner balance, something that no other place has been able to replace to this day," Thach said.

In Thach's sketches, Hoi An appears both peaceful and vibrant. With his free-flowing brushstrokes, the artist captures the soul of every corner of the ancient town, bringing onto the page the slow pace of life of the people and the rows of shops nestled under the characteristic yin-yang tiled roofs…

Some sketches of Hoi An by Thach. Photo: Provided by the artist.

The young artist loves Hoi An because of the harmony between the people, architecture, and colors of the ancient town; everything fits perfectly in this place.

"It seems that even a very small change can disrupt the balance, but somehow this seemingly fragile balance has endured over time," Thach said.

Spreading his love of painting through numerous painting videos on social media, Thach believes that his artwork should not be limited to museum display but should have a more intimate connection with the community. For him, painting is a fun way to better understand the culture of a region.

The harmony between people, architecture, and colors in the ancient town of Hoi An. Photo: Provided by the author.

"Exploring culture through art is a new approach that helps bring the cultural values ​​of Vietnam in general and Hoi An in particular closer to young people," Thach said.

By capturing the beauty of the ancient town on paper, the image of Hoi An, as seen through the eyes of artists, evokes fresh and unique emotions. An ancient, tranquil, colorful land rich in cultural value, quietly finds its way into painting, so that even as time carries the stories of its streets into the past, the feelings about this land remain intact in the creative journeys of wandering artists.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-hoa-si-duong-pho-o-hoi-an-post1848027.tpo