Japanese female artist paints “Moon” with Vietnamese lacquer

From September 10 to October 1, the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam (27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi ) introduces to art lovers new works by artist Ando Saeko in a lacquer exhibition called "Moon".

Female artist Ando Saeko (far right, white shirt) interacts with the audience at the exhibition

Having lived and worked in Vietnam for nearly three decades, Ando Saeko is a familiar name among painters and artisans in the lacquer art field. Coming to Hanoi for the first time in 1995, the Japanese woman had the opportunity to approach and devote herself completely to Vietnamese lacquer art.

Under the guidance of famous lacquer artists such as Trinh Tuan, Doan Chi Trung and lacquer artist Lam Chinh Huu, Ando Saeko became a contemporary lacquer artist who is able to skillfully combine traditional Vietnamese lacquer techniques with many unique experimental methods. The female artist's style also bears a special personal mark when combining many elements of Japanese philosophy and aesthetics with Vietnamese cultural and spiritual life.

At the opening ceremony of the "Moon" exhibition, Director of the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam Doi Katsuma shared: "The exhibition is an important cultural activity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023). Through the works of Ms. Ando Saeko, we hope to express the deep and long-lasting connection between the two countries. The author uses the traditional Vietnamese lacquer method to incorporate Japanese aesthetics, creating unique works."

The works in the exhibition were mostly newly created and completed in 2023, with a variety of sizes and shapes, but all have the theme of the moon, a familiar image from ancient times to the present in poetry and art of both Vietnam and Japan.

Lacquer paintings depict the moon in phases, seasons, weather, time of day… with many shades, colors, and combinations of different materials.

Each work selected by artist Ando Saeko for display corresponds to a waka (harmony song) – an ancient Japanese poem with 31 syllables each, often describing the beauty of nature and conveying human emotions.

Present at the exhibition to interact with the audience, female artist Ando Saeko mentioned the memories that made her love for Vietnamese lacquer even deeper.

She said: "When I started painting, I tried many different materials such as oil paint, watercolor, etc., but I didn't feel comfortable or suitable for myself. Although I had known about Japanese lacquer art before, when I came to Vietnam, I discovered that lacquer art was not only in my country, so I was curious to learn more. During that process, I met talented teachers in Vietnam, learned from them, and then started using lacquer to paint and felt very happy. I had the opportunity to travel to many countries, but only Vietnam made me want to stay."

Talking about the exhibition "Moon", Ando Saeko added that she is currently living and working in Hoi An city ( Quang Nam ). The times of watching the moon in the middle of the fragrant rice fields, the moonlight on the ocean, the moon in the forest... have given her many strong emotions. Ando Saeko created a series of lacquer paintings about the moon and chose ancient Japanese poems for each painting, so that viewers can have deeper feelings about nature and life.

Saeko Ando, born in 1968 in Japan, is the first foreigner to be admitted as a member of the Hanoi Fine Arts Association. Besides her creative work, Saeko Ando is also known as a researcher in the field of natural lacquer and actively shares her discoveries through lectures, conferences, and international seminars.

Saeko Ando is also the artist who performs the main image for the opera "Princess Anio", the highlight of a series of cultural events on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. The opera will be performed at the Hanoi Opera House on September 22-24 and in Tokyo (Japan) in November.

According to Nhandan.com.vn

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