VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition of veteran artist Nguyen Thi Tam's paintings, featuring the beauty of the lotus flower, is being held in HCM City to celebrate her 75th birthday and mark her 55 years as a painter.

Love in bloom: Thi Tham Voi Sen (Whispering with Lotus) by Nguyen Thi Tam is on display in HCM City.
"I have loved and drawn lotus for many years, and it is a life-saver," Tam said. "It makes my soul calm when facing difficulties and the pressures of daily life."

Thi Tham Voi Sen (Whispering with Lotus) exhibition showcases 50 silk paintings and oil-on-canvas paintings that contain the country's landscapes as well.

White is used as a major colour to depict the charming and simple beauty of the lotus in Ben Ao Sen (Beside the White Lotus Pool) and Hai Sen Hong (Picking up Pink Lotus).

Landscapes are also highlighted in her works Mot Goc Que Nha (A Corner of the Homeland) and Ben Lau Say (Reed-Covered Mooring).

Born in My Tho City in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, Tam graduated in oil painting from Gia Dinh Fine Arts College (currently the HCM City University of Fine Arts) in 1958, and later was attracted by silk painting.

Tam is a former lecturer at the fine arts university and former co-chairwoman of the International Women Artists Association in Viet Nam.

She has had 20 solo and group exhibitions in Viet Nam and other countries, including France, the US and Germany.

The exhibition runs until October 14 at the HCM City's Exhibition House at 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News