The exhibition presents a harmonious quintette of the five artists Hoang Hai Anh, Tran Cong Dung, Hoang Duc Dung, Trinh Vu Hieu and Le Anh Quan, with different styles, materials and subjects. 

Through the warm lines of Hoang Hai Anh’s drawings, the expressive still life paintings or blushing figures of female images, the artworks engage the audience with the calmness of the characters. 

Though the modern life might be too busy and hectic, when we stand in front of such paintings, in a moment, our emotions will be stirring strongly as if we could touch the happiness and sadness of life – the shared feelings of all human beings.

The rusted doors of the Old Quarter’s houses in a series of lacquer paintings by Artist Tran Cong Dung, which have been done just recently, on a different note, evokes the memories of “the war and peace of Hanoi” in those who have experienced them. 

Life keeps changing, but fortunately, thanks to the talent of artists, the people of Old Quarter may feel comforted that whatever lies ahead, even when new houses replace old ones, the soul of the city remains in such enduring doorframes which hazily convey the beauty of time.

All together, the landscape paintings by Hoang Duc Dung, depicting the blurry mist and indistinct human figures with a realistic style, might puzzle the audience. 

Being half-reality and half-imaginary, would Hoang Duc Dung’s poetic paintings be able to help modern city dwellers find a delicate balance in their lives? 

It is not easy to tell. However, behind those seemingly tranquil nature scenes lie the artists’ silent but persistent contemplations of the human life.

In contrast, but also resonating with those easel paintings, could it be that the contemporary pottery vases by Trinh Vu Hieu are dreams come true for artists? 

Looming in the ancient pattern of a legend phoenix couple – the symbol of a well-matched couple – those semi-conscious faces look sensuous and poetic. 

They remind us of reality and dreams, and of the motion and the stillness. Somehow they also ask viewers to be mindful to their own thoughts and emotions.

Standing apart from the four realism artists mentioned above, Le Anh Quan soliloquizes about the human condition through his abstract paintings. 

The contradictory interactions among the images of children, a symbol of innocence and purity, flickering in the rough, strong and dark drawing lines of the paintings, reflect the artists’ feelings about the uncertainty of the future and the fragility of human life.

Hanoi is getting more hustle and bustle. People are moving faster and struggling with more pressures and stresses. 

However, the moment they place themselves in front of Art, they find a “pause” button – a mean to get rid of their rushes. Then they may stop hesitating and get closer to others.

PV