Tran Ngoc Linh, a student of painter Ho Huu Thu, finds his own path for lacquer.

Through the hands of Tran Ngoc Linh - a student of two talented Southern lacquer painters, Nguyen Lam and Ho Huu Thu - lacquer is no longer a decorative surface, but becomes a living body, knowing how to struggle and breathe according to the painter's emotions, following its own path," curator - painter Phan Trong Van commented.

From November 22 to November 30 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts (97A Pho Duc Chinh, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the exhibition Golden Tone by Tran Ngoc Linh will take place.

After her solo exhibition (2019) and the traditional lacquer painting exhibition of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association (2020), the female painter from the Gia Lai mountain town has just returned to the art "playground", and she is still loyal to the traditional lacquer material.

Lacquer paintings by artist Tran Ngoc Linh

Photo: PHAN TRONG VAN

When flowers and leaves bloom together

Photo: PHAN TRONG VAN

According to curator - artist Phan Trong Van: "In the flow of contemporary Vietnamese fine arts, lacquer still holds a special position: it is both a cultural memory and a door for artists to enter deep inner regions. The exhibition Golden Tone by artist Tran Ngoc Linh is a true slice of that journey - where traditional materials meet the freedom of the creator's mind."

Painter Tran Ngoc Linh: " Golden tones" is my way of expressing gratitude to life.

In The Golden Sound, artist Tran Ngoc Linh brings to the audience nearly 50 selected works, created from 2020 - 2025, with an abstract, figurative composition tendency based entirely on traditional materials: vermilion, gold, silver, then, cockroach wings, polished and covered with many layers. Not looking for show, Linh chooses to "go inside" - each layer is a layer of time, each line of polishing is a dialogue with himself.

Artist Tran Ngoc Linh

Photo: NVCC

The artist confided: "For me, fine art is a peaceful garden - where I find peace and balance among the hustle and bustle of life. There, lacquer is like a soulmate, both gentle and patient, teaching me to listen and wait. The path of making art has never been easy. There were times when I was lonely, there were times when I thought I wanted to stop, but it was my belief in beauty and my love for lacquer that helped me keep going. I still work quietly every day, persistently finding my own voice - gentle but persistent, so that today I can share that positive energy with the audience."

The golden tones help viewers approach the visual beauty of lacquer.

Photo: PHAN TRONG VAN

Linh's works remind that women can be light but not weak, soft but not translucent, small but full of endurance.

Photo: PHAN TRONG VAN

"I am grateful for everything - from the traditional lacquer material to the teachers who gave me a solid foundation to walk on the creative path. Grateful for those who believed, listened, and sympathized with me through each work and throughout time. Painting, for me, is a way of life. It is my breath. It is my way of expressing gratitude to life. And with the exhibition Golden Tones , I am gradually realizing those dreams of my life," shared artist Tran Ngoc Linh.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tran-ngoc-linh-hoc-tro-hoa-si-ho-huu-thu-tim-loi-di-rieng-cho-son-mai-185251120080626228.htm