Vu Thanh Tam depicts the love for his homeland through watercolor paintings.

VHO - On May 22nd, artist Vu Thanh Tam will open his watercolor exhibition "Peaceful Landscape" at 22 Gallery (22 Pham Cu Luong Street, Tan Son Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), showcasing 30 works, and running until June 1st, 2026.

Vũ Thành Tâm's work "Making a Living" evokes memories of a poor but peaceful rural area.

This is considered a special milestone for Vu Thanh Tam after many years away from painting to make a living, and only truly returning to the paintbrush during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sharing his thoughts ahead of the exhibition, Vu Thanh Tam said that in 2022, during the pandemic, he felt more deeply the finiteness of life, and therefore cherished even more the simple moments in the Vietnamese countryside.

"I cherish the fleeting yet brilliant, simple yet peaceful moments in the countryside. This inner urge inspires me to capture those moments of life through watercolor painting," he shared.

According to the artist, "Peaceful Landscape" is like a small summary of the past four years, and also a "stopping point" before a longer journey in his artistic life.

Artist Vu Thanh Tam

Born in 1981, Vu Thanh Tam graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City College of Culture and Arts in 2005. After graduation, he worked as a graphic designer for several companies. From 2017 to 2022, he transitioned to freelance business before returning to painting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vu Thanh Tam's story is also a familiar journey for many art students: after years of facing life's challenges, most have to put painting aside to focus on making a living. For him, dedicating a fixed amount of time each week to sitting down with watercolors has been a significant choice after turning 40.

In Vu Thanh Tam's paintings, viewers can easily find very ordinary images of the outskirts of Gia Dinh and the Southern countryside, such as hens incubating eggs, fragrant gourd vines, bunches of ripe bananas, bouquets of purple water lilies, boat docks, or bundles of dry straw. These simple scenes appear in soft colors, evoking a sense of nostalgia and peace.

The work "Hidden"

The work "Mother's Legacy"

Artist Ho Hung, who has been close to Vu Thanh Tam for over 20 years, said he was moved to receive an invitation to his friend's debut exhibition. Ho Hung shared that he sees this exhibition as a milestone for Vu Thanh Tam, allowing him to truly step through the "door of passion" he has cherished for many years.

Curator Ly Doi commented that Vu Thanh Tam's paintings contain subtle anxieties, suppressed frustrations on the verge of erupting, and the somewhat hesitant emotions of someone living in a rapidly changing suburban area due to urbanization.

Besides landscapes and scenes of his hometown, Vu Thanh Tam also paints portraits of his family.

Because he lived on the outskirts of Gia Dinh, Tam's paintings during this period were a way of capturing the soul of the countryside, the old rhythms of life still lingering amidst the whirlwind of urbanization. A hen incubating eggs, a vine of fragrant gourds bearing fruit, a basket of freshly picked starfruit, a bunch of ripe bananas just cut, a bouquet of purple water lilies, a boat landing, a bundle of dry straw… these are images that still remain here and there in the outskirts of Gia Dinh, images that might completely disappear in 3-5 years.

"Vu Thanh Tam's paintings capture the essence of the countryside, the lingering rhythms of old life amidst the whirlwind of urbanization," said Ly Doi.

Art researcher Quách Cường commented that Vũ Thành Tâm's paintings possess the "feeling" of a Southern Vietnamese countryman. A genuine, unpretentious, and straightforward emotion, yet rich and profound like alluvial soil.

“His paintings lean towards realistic depictions rich in atmosphere, where light and the soft, flowing nature of water play a role in creating a sense of memory. The shades of green, earthy brown, straw yellow, or purplish gray are handled relatively gently, with little harsh contrast, creating a visual rhythm close to the soft, humid, and slow-paced alluvial landscape of the Southwestern region of Vietnam,” Quách Cường shared.

With "Peaceful Landscape ," Vu Thanh Tam hasn't set any grand ambitions regarding technique or experimental approach. What viewers can most easily perceive is the enduring spirit of someone who, despite having been away from painting for many years, still retains a love for watercolors and memories of his homeland.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/nghe-thuat/vu-thanh-tam-ke-tinh-que-bang-tranh-mau-nuoc-229913.html