Cover of the book (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A Vietnamese-English language book featuring morethan 200 sketches of Hanoi’s streets along with emotional essays about the capitalcity has been published.
Titled Pho Co Ha Noi - Ky Hoa và Hoi Uc (Hanoi’s Old Quarter - Sketches& Memories) by Wings Books of the Kim Dong Publishing House, it is acollection from 60 authors, writers, architects, amateur and professionalpainters of Urban Sketchers Hanoi group.
Pictures in the book havebeen drawn with various materials like water colours, pencils and wax.
Painter Nguyen Thanh Phong explores thebeauty of handicraft villages and streets in ancient Hanoi, while architect Nguyen Quang Minh loses himselfin charming French-style villas, writer Nguyen Truong Quy describes inspirations fordrawing Hanoi’s streets by painters in the past.
“The spontaneous approach is quite suitable tonatural characteristics of Hanoi’s Old Quarter featuring surprising and uniquebeauty of street space,” commented architect and researcher Nguyen Quoc Thong, ViceChairman of the Vietnam Architects’ Association.
“Sketching is the quickest way to capture images in various materials, theinitial step of creating a painting,” he said. “The sketch book on Hanoi’sstreet is the first of its kind. Moreover, the authors are of all walks oflife and ages (the youngest is only eight years old) has brought the booka unique feature.”
Established in 2016 with nearly 4,000 members, the Urban Sketchers Hanoi grouphas hosted various painting event to snap images of Hanoi, especially the oldlifestyles, old buildings, which are gradually disappearing in the process ofurbanisation.
In August, the group wasrecognised for its activities in the category of Actions for Hanoi in the system of Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Hanoi Awards hosted by The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture)daily./.
VNA
