Writer Nguyen Anh Dao unexpectedly brought "flowers to the streets".

It seems that writers and poets unexpectedly turning to painting is no longer unusual. Recently, writer Nguyen Anh Dao has done the same with her first painting exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

From December 13th to 20th, at Maii Art Gallery (72/7 Tran Quoc Toan Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), writer Nguyen Anh Dao, along with two female artists, Hoang Duyen and Do My, will hold the exhibition "Flowers on the Streets".

Although they all share the same subject of still life—flowers—the three artists chose to practice their painting with three different materials. All three meet at the same point: a feminine sensibility in their perception of flowers, and a shared mindset of highland women: gentle yet not weak, simple yet not simplistic, tranquil yet not silent…

Writer Nguyen Anh Dao stands beside her artwork at the "Flowers on the Streets" exhibition.

Writer Nguyen Anh Dao was born in 1981 in Dak Lak . After graduating from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City National University in 2003, she stayed in Ho Chi Minh City to work. During this time, Nguyen Anh Dao actively participated in the vibrant literary and screenwriting scene of Ho Chi Minh City, establishing a certain reputation for herself. In 2011, she returned to her hometown in Dak Lak.

The work "A Little Autumn" (number 3) by writer Nguyen Anh Dao

From her first collection of short stories , "The Day You Become an Adult" (Kim Dong Publishing House, 2007), writer Nguyen Anh Dao has since published six more works, including: "Just Need You to Know How to Cry" (Culture and Arts Publishing House, 2012); "The Broken Guitar" (Labor Publishing House, 2015); "Flickering Fireflies" (Literature Publishing House, 2016); "The Abandoned Well" ( Hanoi Publishing House, 2016); "Better to Be Alone and Get Used to It" (Culture and Arts Publishing House, 2017); and "Spinning Grains of Rice" (Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, 2019).

The artwork "The Sun Rises"

In 2019, while taking her child to an art class, she asked the teacher if she could stay and learn with her child, and discovered the joy of colors.

The work "A Touch of Autumn" (number 8)

“In 2020, I was stuck at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, not knowing what to do, so I took out my paints and started drawing to help me feel better. Luckily, after finishing my drawings, I posted them on Facebook and people asked to buy them. That's when I realized this could be a way to earn extra income and unleash my creativity, so I developed a passion for it without even realizing it,” shared writer Nguyen Anh Dao.

The work "A Touch of Autumn" (number 5)

Nguyen Anh Dao's paintings often use oil paint, primarily depicting flowers and plants. She explains: "I paint flowers with vibrant colors, reflecting my own peaceful life in the mountains. There's no philosophical meaning behind it; I simply want to convey a positive message to viewers: flowers bloom in all four seasons, regardless of weather conditions, each flower possesses its own vitality, striving to grow and beautify the earth and sky."

The artwork "Flower Season"

To date, writer Nguyen Anh Dao has painted approximately 500 oil paintings, selling over 400 of them nationwide and to overseas Vietnamese friends in countries such as the US, Singapore, Romania, Mexico, and Germany.

According to curator and artist Phan Trong An, the flowers in Nguyen Anh Dao's paintings are not boisterous; the colors are gentle, the layers of color blending are thin, and the brushstrokes are restrained and soft. Her paintings are calm and peaceful, like a breath of air. In them, viewers can feel the "purity" of emotion and color, something that oil paint, when handled subtly, can retain, like the lingering light on flower petals after a rain shower.

HO SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nha-van-nguyen-anh-dao-bat-ngo-mang-hoa-xuong-pho-post828437.html