Located in the small alley 48, Ao Nghe, Tay Ho, BRUSH Studio is such a space. Not noisy or ostentatious, this Studio is becoming a familiar meeting place for the international art-loving community, where oil painting workshops offer the opportunity to touch Hanoi culture in a very unique way: Through colors, through emotions and through sharing between people from many different countries.
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“I wanted to create a workshop for people like me, who not only want to learn to draw but also want to meet and connect with others through art” - Marta shares the reason for founding BRUSH Studio. |
BRUSH Studio was founded in 2022 by Marta, a Russian artist who has lived in Vietnam for many years. The opportunity to open the workshop came from her own experiences while searching for a creative community in Hanoi. Marta said that she had attended a workshop by Nguyen Thanh Binh, a painter famous for his oil paintings of Vietnamese women and daily life. “I really like his paintings,” Marta said, “and I feel happy to be able to introduce a Vietnamese artist to international students.”
It was these mixed feelings that made Marta start thinking about building a creative space for the international community - a place where art is not only for learning, but also for connecting because she shared, "Many sessions are fun, but people only come once and that's it." Many times, Marta was the only foreigner in the class. "Everyone is friendly and easygoing, but sometimes I still feel like I'm not really part of the group." That wish led to the birth of BRUSH Studio - a meeting place between painting and culture, between people far from home and the land they call their second home.
The biggest difference of BRUSH Studio lies in the choice of material: oil paint. While many popular workshops in Hanoi use acrylic because it is easy to access, Marta decided to use oil paint - a classic but deep material, requiring meticulousness, patience and technique. For her, oil paint is not just a material, but a cultural mark from her homeland Russia, where oil painting is strongly developed. Marta explains: “Oil paint is very diverse, bringing a sense of creativity and freedom. In Asia, it is not as popular as in Europe and I think this is a great opportunity to introduce oil paint to beginners”.
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Paintings imbued with Vietnamese identity in BRUSH Studio workshops. |
At the small studio by West Lake, the participants are mainly foreigners living in Hanoi, they learn to familiarize themselves with the color palette, the solvent, and the unique texture of oil paint. Oil paint is slow to dry, difficult to fix, and requires many layers, but it is this “difficulty” that creates the depth and appeal of the material. Marta said that many students were afraid that oil painting was too difficult, but when given detailed instructions, they gradually feel its beauty and freedom. “Although it is a bit difficult, the results are really worth it,” she said.
One of the highlights of the workshop is how Marta cleverly incorporates Vietnamese culture into each lesson. Some days participants draw a bowl of pho – a symbol of Hanoi cuisine ; some days the theme is a sunset at West Lake; and other times the workshop is based on the style of Vietnamese artists.
In Marta’s hands, oil paints with the spirit of Russian painting not only retain their European technical identity but also become a means to tell very Vietnamese stories, helping local cultural values to be “translated” into an artistic language familiar to international friends. It is the blend of imported materials and Vietnamese content that creates a special attraction: Russians find a sense of familiarity right in the heart of Hanoi; Vietnamese people look back at their culture through a new way of expression; and the international community is given the opportunity to approach Vietnamese culture through a visual and emotional experience.
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Students attentively draw pictures in the pho painting workshop. |
During a recent pho painting workshop, Ree, an international student, said that this is not only a creative activity but also a way to deeply experience Vietnamese culture.
“I feel like I embrace Vietnamese culture not only through food but also through art,” Ree shares. “Art reflects the beauty of food and vice versa, food reflects the beauty of culture. Today we are painting pho - my favorite dish. I also love bun cha! However, the journey to preserve and spread oil painting art in Hanoi is not always easy. Oil painting requires high costs, specialized tools, and open spaces to ensure safety. The student community also fluctuates with the seasons, especially depending on the number of foreigners living in the Tay Ho area. But Marta does not see that as an obstacle. She believes that these challenges make “me more creative”.
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Ree enjoys a creative moment during the workshop. |
In the future, Marta hopes to expand the workshop model, organize outdoor drawing sessions around West Lake, and build more experiences connecting Vietnamese and foreigners. For her, tradition is only truly “alive” when it is retold in a contemporary breath, through stories, experiences, and through the community that participates in it.
Amidst the sparkling layers of color in a small room by the lake, BRUSH Studio’s Oil Painting Workshop is quietly lighting up a cultural bridge. Each completed painting is not just a work of art, but a piece of memory of Hanoi preserved through the eyes of international youth. And there, people realize that sometimes, to bring Hanoi closer to the world , all it takes is an easel placed by the window, a vibrant color palette and a heart always open to the beauty of this place.
Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/oil-painting-workshop-ho-tay-khong-gian-van-hoa-trong-long-thanh-pho-postid431837.bbg
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