Lotus flowers of Hue in Le Hoa's paintings

Passing along the winding slope covered with patches of cosmos flowers, people and vehicles seemed to wander into a verdant canopy. A cool breeze, gentle as a lullaby, weaved through the bamboo groves that formed a shimmering path bathed in sunlight. Small houses nestled peacefully on the hillside, tranquil and serene. Hue has picturesque roads and suburban neighborhoods. The sound of doves cooing echoed from the red tiled roofs and unplastered brick windows. A doorway, evoking the image of a meditating person with simple features, peeked out from behind a golden bamboo branch. I immediately recognized the house I was looking for.

The young artist couple, Le Hoa and Minh Thi, with their two young sons, were arranging bunches of early-season longan into several small bags. Early-season Hue longan, grown on the hilly terrain, has thick, firm flesh, isn't too crunchy, has a subtly sweet taste, and is very fragrant. We stood in front of a room of about 40 square meters, with paintings covering the walls, neatly stacked in carefully wrapped foam for preservation. Hoa said cheerfully:

- These are the paintings being prepared for a solo exhibition that will be held this August at the Fine Arts Exhibition House of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in Hanoi .

It is known that in the 15 years since graduating from Hue University of Fine Arts, Hoa has participated in numerous group exhibitions locally, nationally, and in the region, receiving many awards and attracting the attention of collectors and art enthusiasts.

Born and raised in the artistic cradle of the ancient capital, Hoa's paintings explore stories imbued with the subtle traces of time, still lifes full of nostalgia, and shades of past and present blended together in rough, flowing layers of mache. Focusing on texture techniques and the way forms are combined, Hoa's paintings possess a distinctive color tone, easily recognizable by its depictions of ancient moss, old brick walls, sunlit garden corners, and poetic rivers... like the deep, earthy scent of the homeland, like a call to return.

We believe in the natural beauty of the flower with its pure fragrance, nurtured from the dark, lonely mud. We revere a flower with delicate petals leaning affectionately against each other without choice. There is a spark in the artist's dream, like a conception already formed, an outburst of calm contemplation and observation. In the ancient capital this season, lotuses can be found everywhere in the ponds and lakes. Memory preserves poetic images of lotuses, and the present is the allure of their leaves, flowers, and pure fragrance, subtly present amidst ancient tombs and temples, and peaceful villages.

I wasn't too surprised by the number of over 30 large-scale paintings, some up to 4 meters, that the artist prepared for this exhibition. It was a swift, carefully planned endeavor. A long-held dream, a gestation that finally erupted. There was no excessive hesitation or procrastination here. It was a fluid flow of consciousness leading into the colors and brushstrokes, leisurely yet decisive, dedicated and uninhibited.

The mache, with its impressive texture-creating techniques, has generated emotionally charged effects for the subject matter in the story the author wishes to tell. The layers of bricks of the Imperial Citadel, the mist of time, the gentle, clear blue of the sky and leaves, the pure, sacred white of blooming flowers... And the meditative state is repeatedly expressed through various forms, consciously blurred as a backdrop to the story, yet it evokes a great deal of emotion in the viewer.

Facing "Three Gates," "Four Faces," "Ancient Echoes," and "Continuity," we feel as if we are transported back, our feet touching the earth. And then, with the Lotus Dance, the Land of Happiness, and Aspirations... with their overflowing, flowing colors that transcend the boundaries between painting and reality, viewers feel as if they are touching the tranquil realm we always long to reside in.

Fifteen years ago, the first painting that young student Le Hoa completed and was purchased by a German lay Buddhist was a still life of lotuses. Since then, with hundreds of paintings depicting various themes throughout his journey of searching for his own unique style, the hallmarks of his artistic practice have all been intertwined with and imbued with the fragrance and beauty of this special flower.

Hoa shared:

- I don't remember exactly how many paintings of lotuses I've done, just as most artists have painted this flower more than once. But this time, I really wanted to do something different, to reinvent myself and my paintings. The lotus is no longer just about painting the flower, the leaves, or the branches; it's about delving deeper into everyday stories and profound philosophies that people face.

It is a sincere expression of love for the homeland, a touch of wanderlust, and even a philosophical undertone, a desire to guide viewers towards the path of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty through the image of "LOTUS" - the lotus flower.

As I flipped through each painting, I was truly moved by the concentration and tireless creative effort of the young artist. The colors, brushes, and carefully considered techniques shone on the canvas, revealing a unique and admirable expressive language.

Lotus Season. In the midst of lotus season, Hoa's paintings also bloom with lotus flowers of love and hope for healing and return.

Artist Le Hoa, born in 1983 in Hue City, graduated from the University of Arts with a major in Painting and is a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Hoa won First Prize at the exhibition celebrating the traditional Vietnamese Fine Arts Day organized by the Thua Thien Hue Fine Arts Association in 2016; received the Buu Chi Award in Hue in 2017; participated in the Mekong River region exhibition in Thailand in December 2013; participated in the "Meeting Point of Dutch Colors" exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in 2014; and in 2011 and 2017, his paintings were exhibited at the National Young Artists Festival in Hanoi…

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