The fine art exhibition entitled “Khac hoa” (Depicting), which opened in Pan Pacific Hotel in Hanoi, was one of Lunet Art Galerie’s efforts to partly introduce the development of Vietnamese graphics through historic periods with three typical artists: Tran Nguyen Dan, Le Mai Khanh and Pham Khac Quang.
Not merely a gathering of artworks by three painters who present three generations, the exhibition is like a sketch of the development of the sector that helps viewers know more about the contributions made by Vietnamese graphic artists in the past and present time. Over 50 exhibits, mainly visual graphics, have highlighted their uniqueness and creative ideas both in content and form. They expressed their views, distinctive expressions and characteristic styles.
Artist Tran Nguyen Dan (1941), former Deputy Director of Vietnam Fine Art Museum, who has showcased many artworks at exhibitions in the country and abroad, was honoured with State Award for Literature and the Arts in 2007. His paintings are rustic and true to life with diverse contents reflecting nature, landscapes and the daily life of people in rural and urban areas around the country. The artworks such as Hoi An Ancient City, the Bac Ha rural market, Ben Duc and Huong Pagoda are imbued with traditional folklore and national identities while reflecting surreal and spiritual features. They are quite monumental with large arrays of space. However, the details are harmonious and compact. The painter has devoted his whole career to graphic art, leaving in an indelible mark on Vietnamese fine arts.
Viewers always feel the academic style in both expression and graphic depiction as well as full emotions and reason of the late painter Le Mai Khanh in her artworks. Born in 1952 and died in 2017, the late painter left many impressive works that expressed her emotional, compassionate, and intellectual spirit. Her paintings are very ordinary but rich in emotions, containing profound outlooks on life. In her bronze, zinc and wooden engraved paintings, the landscape, people and daily life were reflected through clear and definitive lines with harmonious colours in a space blending super real and present. They are images of the railways, the spaces under the bridges, the boat docks, and the familiar symbols in water puppetry performances. Notably, Le Mai Khanh’s paintings always depict modern features that proved the contributions made by Vietnamese graphic arts to the world’s graphic arts.
As a student who followed the graphic career of late painter Le Mai Khanh, painter Pham Khac Quang (born in 1975) focused on highly expressive graphic works with new ideas both in structure, shades of light and shapes. He has always searched for new directions and used new materials to express familiar content, bringing a multidimensional perspective and feelings. He shared: “Art has no limits and no destination. Art is a journey for us to take. Creativity is always changing, as are artists who always desire that the new will come to them”.
The exhibition contributed to honouring the creations and contributions made by graphic painters through a collection of artworks by three painters who represent three generations. In the coming time, Lunet Art will create similar spaces for talented artists, towards seeking new opportunities for artists to develop their career. So far, Lunet Art successfully sponsored many impressive exhibitions with high art values, receiving great support from artist and art lovers.
