The beauty of West Lake in Nguyen Quoc Thang's paintings

NDO - More than 40 paintings in the exhibition "Shades of West Lake" by artist Nguyen Quoc Thang have brought new perspectives on the beauty of West Lake - a unique and poetic cultural symbol of Hanoi.

Born and raised by West Lake, over time, painter Nguyen Quoc Thang has witnessed many changes in the landscape and nature through each season and each moment of the day.

West Lake is a part of his memories, an endless source of inspiration. Therefore, when pursuing a career in painting, Nguyen Quoc Thang always carries within him a passion for that special beauty.

Painter Nguyen Quoc Thang with his work at the exhibition.

The exhibition "Shades of West Lake" crystallizes the artist's years of artistic labor, with the aim of recreating and expressing the beauty of West Lake from many angles through each moment. Each painting does not simply depict the landscape but contains many separate emotions and levels, reflecting the deep love of an artist for the place he has been attached to since childhood.

Recreating the beauty of West Lake is not easy, because each time we admire it, we see a different look, from the bright sunny dawns to the quiet sunsets, from the gentle drizzle to the rays of sunlight shining on the lake surface... all create magical effects that only those who love and are attached to this land can feel and express fully.

Painter Nguyen Quoc Thang

Each work in the exhibition bears Nguyen Quoc Thang's personal mark. It is a combination of professional techniques and deep emotions. His paintings open a journey to discover the endless beauty of nature. Each painting carries its own separate story.

A romantic corner of West Lake.

What is special about Nguyen Quoc Thang's paintings is the use of colors not only to create images, but also to express people's emotional state before nature. Each painting appears with its own unique beauty, not eye-catching, flashy but gentle, peaceful, reflecting the value of contemplation and peace in life. That allows viewers to immerse themselves in emotions without being overwhelmed.

Every moment of the season is imprinted in the artist's soul.

The color gamut in his paintings ranges from cool green to warm yellow, from deep brown to gentle gray, all bringing a sense of serenity. Each of these shades blends together, condensing into an impressive, evocative artistic space.

I hope my work opens up a free art space where everyone who has ever been attached to West Lake, whether locals or tourists, can feel the eternal beauty of this place.

Painter Nguyen Quoc Thang

This exhibition by Nguyen Quoc Thang can be seen as fragments of memories that the artist put into each brush stroke, so that viewers can feel a part of the creator's soul.

Familiar view of West Lake.

Throughout his career, although he asserted that he pursued the realism school in painting, Nguyen Quoc Thang had profound thoughts about his personal approach to reality. For him, reality is not expressed through mechanical copying of the outside world but is precisely the process of recognizing emotions, a journey to discover the beauty of life.

The shadows of houses and trees blend with the shadows of people.

From simple, subtle feelings about nature and people, the artist depicts the West Lake landscape with vibrant, familiar yet different nuances, making viewers surprised by familiar things.

Recreate the beauty of memory colors.

In the exhibition "Shades of Tay Ho", Nguyen Quoc Thang's realistic style opens up a great range of emotional depth. It is a flow of memories, a recreation of a space and time that has become a part of his life, as well as of those who have been attached to this space.

With more than 40 paintings vividly and emotionally recreating the rhythm and breath of West Lake in many moments and contexts, the exhibition is an opportunity for the public to admire unique works of art, and gain a new perspective on the beauty of West Lake - a place with deep history, culture and unique characteristics, contributing to the unique beauty of the capital.

West Lake in Nguyen Quoc Thang’s paintings is a world that is constantly changing, through the distillation of personal impressions and collective memories of the whole community. Along with the changes, when high-rise buildings are springing up, the roads are increasingly crowded, sidewalk shops and even brilliant fireworks during festivals, the artist records them all in his works.

A moment of dreaminess and romance.

One can see the spirit of optimism, harmony, and humanity instead of criticism or regret. Cherishing life through every change to realize that it is the value of continuity, interaction, and exchange that is the spirit of the artist.

Fishermen - a familiar image of West Lake in paintings.

Nguyen Quoc Thang depicts a West Lake through familiar images, at the same time there are new, vibrant landscapes of a developing city. The bright lights of the city, the gentle colors of the lake, and the fresh air of nature are all portrayed by him with great emotion.

A vibrant corner of West Lake.

Besides the landscapes, "The Shades of West Lake" also impresses with the image of people. The artist sometimes does not put people in the painting as the center or main character, but instead appears as a highlight in the scene. These can be faint, faceless figures, reminiscent of workers, vendors, or people walking under the shade of trees by the lake, playing a role in highlighting the scene.

The beauty of everyday life is expressed simply yet delicately.

In some of his other works, people become the central subject, standing out with clear lines and full figures. This shows the artist's passion for human beauty, especially the feminine, innocent, dreamy beauty of women against the backdrop of West Lake.

The beauty of women in Nguyen Quoc Thang's paintings both expresses aesthetics and exudes deep contemplation about the beauty of life, about the fragility and impermanence of all things.

The color patches evoke distant memories.

Painter Nguyen Quoc Thang always nurtures and cultivates the desire for his works to have a clear message to convey to the viewer. He wants through each painting, the viewer will be aroused with emotions, thoughts, opening different windows with their own feelings. Each person has their own feelings, and that to him is the most surprising and precious thing.

Each painting opens a window for the viewer to feel for themselves.

Nguyen Quoc Thang's paintings are a blend of reality and emotion, of past and present, of old and new. As he shared: "People, landscapes, West Lake change every day, every hour. It is the largest body of water in Hanoi , a body of water that still holds a lot of mystery. To paint a few works about a land, a person is much easier than to revolve around a theme, which is already so familiar."

Painter Nguyen Quoc Thang interviewed about the exhibition.

He sees this exhibition as both a challenge and an opportunity. What worries him most when doing an exhibition is that the paintings are boring and repetitive, so he tries to find new perspectives and new moods.

"Only when the mood changes can the picture change," the artist confided. Some days he doesn't paint anything, other days he can create a few. He hopes his "brainchild" will bring messages and meanings, not be general or superficial.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ve-dep-tay-ho-trong-tranh-nguyen-quoc-thang-post867715.html