VietNamNet Bridge – When Thanh Chuong looks at his portrait painted by fellow artist Chu Luong, he personally feels his other self, who may have wandered somewhere or existed inside him but he hasn't noticed.

Chuong, a painter himself, has hundreds of self-portraits. Yet he's still surprised, proud and interested in the portrait painted by his friend, Luong.

"I think my self-portraits described me exactly and certain characteristics," Chuong said.

"However, when I see myself in Luong's painting, I recognise another me, one found and understood by Luong,” he said. “In this way, another Thanh Chuong was added to the existing Thanh Chuong, making me more complete."

He is just one of 50 famous artists who will appear in an ongoing exhibition of portraits painted by Luong, currently on display at Exhibition House.

"Through the exhibition and through fine arts, Luong connects friends together. He uses art to connect people," Chương said.

"Thanks to Luong, we have a chance to enjoy an atmosphere of art, which combines purity and kindness. Luong is absolutely fair-minded and innocent. He paints us then gives us the portraits as presents. We are all moved by that."

When Luong finishes a painting, he gathers a group of close friends at a coffee shop they regularly visit. The newly-finished painting is covered with a cloth. He always asks his friends to guess who's in the portrait. When the painting is uncovered, people realise the familiar faces of writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, painter Thanh Chuong, writer Nguyen Van Tho, poet Mai Van Phan and many others.

After the big unveil, the conversation circles around the person portrayed.

"That's the cultural activity we highly appreciate,” Chuong said.

Luong was born in 1960 and now works as vice director of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.

"How fortunate I am," he said. "I feel truly lucky to be born into a family from a land with such rich cultural tradition - a place where I can nurture my creative passion amidst the artistic space of water puppetry."

"I'm all the more lucky to bare witness to a period of time in which war has subsided and peace is on the horizon. My good health helps me overcome many difficulties and allows me to live and become fully immersed in my work in the capital city of Ha Noi."

Actor Trung Hieu, writer Nguyen Van Tho and artist Quoc Chiem are among famous faces portrayed by director Chu Luong -- VNS Photos

However, he still feels surrounded by an unknown emptiness, something he can't fully understand. But while looking at his beloved friends, who have spent countless hours drinking tea and conversing about art and life with him, he starts to have a change of heart.

"Thinking about them, their personalities and virtue makes my soul tranquil," he said.

An idea flashed in his mind: portray them. So he started the work at his office in his free time.

"I consider it a way to escape the feelings of emptiness during the painting process,” he said.

His friends encouraged him to paint more and organise an exhibition – an idea that was brought to fruition. The exhibition expresses his gratitude to his friends and shows the internal life and personalities of famous artists.

The exhibition will run until Sunday, March 13 at Exhibition House, 45 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi.

VNS