'Xuân'(Spring), a lacquer painting by Nguyễn Nghĩa Dậu created in 2023. Photos courtesy of the VNUFA

An exhibition featuring the beauty of spring and nature will open at the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts (VNUFA) in Hà Nội on Friday.

The annual exhibition organised by the VNUFA with theme Xuân 2024 (Spring 2024), will display 43 recent outstanding art works of different styles and materials by 36 artists who are currently working as lecturers and staff at the university. 

"Spring always brings us a feeling of hope and strengthens our faith in life. With the delicate vibrations of spring featured at the exhibition, the artists also want to tell positive stories about life, the beautiful surrounding nature and humanity," said the organising board in a statement.

"As a good tradition, at the beginning of every Lunar New Year, the staff and lecturers of VNUFA open their 'Spring' exhibition to welcome a joyful and successful new year. The Spring 2024 Exhibition also hopes to convey an inspiration to viewers through a colourful space."

Through the works displayed at Xuân 2024, viewers can feel the artists' rich ideas, their creativity in using various materials and the diversity of their artistic styles, it said.

'Xuân Đến' (Spring Comes), an oil painting by Trần Xuân Dũng.

Although each work has a different perspective, the common point is clearly the breath of life that the artists want to reflect, therefore, their soul is also free to be expressed in the creation.

Viewers at the exhibition will find works about spring such as Xuân (Spring), a lacquer painting by Nguyễn Nghĩa Dậu; Ngày Đầu Năm (New Year's Day), an oil on canvas by Mai Xuân Oanh, and Nguyện Cầu Ngày Xuân (Spring Wishing), a synthetic silk painting by Trần Xuân Bình.

Images of the yearly mascot symbolising strength and noble spirits are also shown in works such as Xuân Giáp Thìn (The Year of the Dragon) an acrylic on canvas by Quách Việt Hà, and Cá Chép Hóa Rồng (Carp Turning into Dragon) a coloured wood carving by Nguyễn Mỹ Ngọc.

'Nguyện Cầu Ngày Xuân' (Spring Wishing) a synthetic silk and canvas by Trần Xuân Bình.

The display will continue until March 17 at the Art Space of the VNUFA at 42 Yết Kiêu Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội. 

Celebration of VNUFA 100th 

The Spring 2024 exhibition is part of a programme that includes various art and cultural activities to be held this year and next year to celebrate the coming 100th anniversary of the VNUFA (1925-2025).

VNUFA is based in downtown Hà Nội, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is one of the leading institutions on training fine arts in Việt Nam.

Its operation and development focus on Vietnamese modern fine arts training, researching and creating associated with the historical contexts and current tasks of the country.

'Mây Thượng Ngàn' (Forest Cloud) an acrylic painting by Nông Tiến Dũng.

One of its important missions is to nurture talents and provide high-quality human resources to serve the national artistic goals, meeting requirements of the country's cultural, economic and social development during the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.

The university was born in 1925 as L'Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (the Indochina College of Fine Arts) and developed through different periods of history until it was officially renamed as VNUFA in 2008.

Three factors of Identity, Creativity and Humanity are defined as the core values of operation. Creativity should always be associated with the inheriting and promotion of national cultural identity and traditions, and it needs a "kind heart" and "works for people", according to the statement.

It is striving to maintain its prestige as a leading and advanced fine arts training school in the country with high reputation in the ASEAN and Asia regions by 2030. VNS