Entitled Hanoi Art Connecting, the event has been held annually since 2016 with a view to connecting Vietnamese and international artists.

The event is being held by Asia Art Link (AAL) and the Hà Nội Industrial Fine Arts University to celebrate its 70th anniversary. 

This year, artists from 24 countries will be taking part at the event.

They include some who have been here before and others who are newcomers such as Malaysia's Ng Bee, Germany's Katrin Hamann, America's Carolyn Muskat and France's Jean Charies Sarrazin.  

Bee and Vietnamese artist Trịnh Tuân are co-founders of the AAL. Bee is an established artist in Malaysia, and has held solo and group exhibitions in Việt Nam before.

Muskat has visited Việt Nam several times on exchange programmes but this is the first time she will attend the Hanoi Art Connecting.

Sarrazin is a special guest. He studied lacquer and graphics in college in 1986. He told the organisers it would be great for him to be back in Hà Nội where he has many friends and colleagues.

The event will include workshops and an exhibition. The workshops on painting, graphics, sculpture and pottery will take place at the university, where the artists will produce their works.

“The workshops will be open to the public so they can watch the artists at work,” said veteran artist Trịnh Tuân, one of the event's organisers.

Among the 80 Vietnamese artists attending the event will be Ca Lê Thắng, Lê Huy Tiếp, Phan Cẩm Thượng, Doãn Hoàng Lâm and Kù Kao Khải.

The opening ceremony will be held at 6pm at 360 La Thành Street with a piano performance by Phó An My, a fashion show by the artists and an exhibition. Entrance is free.

Hanoi Art Connecting has grown rapidly with an increasing number of artists and countries. There were only five countries and 20 international artists at the event in 2016. VNS