Ho Chi Minh City (VNS/VNA) – Through brushstrokes shaped by memory, identity and cultural roots, 12 contemporary artists from Indonesia and Vietnam are coming together in Ho Chi Minh City for a cross-cultural artistic dialogue celebrating heritage, nature and the human spirit.
The “Indonesia – Vietnam Art Dialogue” exhibition showcases around 30 paintings in various media, including oil and acrylic painting, watercolour and lacquer, featuring diverse styles of impressionism, abstraction, surrealism and realism.
The paintings feature various topics, such as nature, culture and the people of Vietnam and Indonesia. Through their works, the artists also share their inner selves, feelings about the world and dedication to their countries.
Six Indonesian artists bring to the exhibition acrylic, oil and watercolour paintings that express their cultural heritage and native art.
Nanang Widjaya, 58, primarily focuses on buildings, particularly heritage architecture. He captures their beauty in watercolour on canvas.
Some of his works are created directly in front of the subject, on-site, such as the Borobudur Temple and the Prambanan Temple, both historical structures renowned for their worldwide beauty.
In this exhibition, Retno Redwindsock presents acrylic-on-canvas paintings to explore home as a sanctuary for the soul and emphasise her connection with forests and trees.
Redwindsock has a bachelor’s degree in interior design and a master’s in fine arts from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta. As a multidisciplinary artist and mixologist, she uses her trips to promote Indonesian spices, which inspire her installations and sculptures.
Shared dialogue
Meanwhile, Vietnamese artists, mostly lecturers of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts (HUFA), express thoughts on nature, culture and spiritual life in today’s society.
Cao Thi Duoc, a former lecturer of HUFA, displays oil paintings portraying Vietnamese women titled “Nam Ngo” (The Year of the Horse) and “Nhung Chiec La Bang Bien (Crown Flower Leaves).
Duoc, 68, holds a master’s degree in fine arts from HUFA. She has dedicated her art to honouring the country's cultural values.
Her oil paintings highlight the Cham ethnic culture, the beauty of Southern life, Vietnamese women and still-life subjects.
She has attended many international and national exhibitions. Her artworks are known by many curators and kept by international collectors.
Mai Anh Dung, a lecturer at the Faculty of Visual Arts of HUFA, and Nguyen Dam Thuy, highlight Vietnamese traditional lacquer paintings, reflecting the history, memories and cultural spirit of Vietnam, as well as concerns about ecology and the living environment amidst the rapid development of modern society.
“Indonesia and Vietnam share a long-standing and positive relationship that continues to grow stronger in many sectors. In this regard, the field of arts and culture serves as an important modality in bringing our peoples closer together and nurturing the excellent relations between our two countries,” Adiguna Wijaya, minister counsellor of the Consulate General of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City, said.
“I sincerely hope that the 'Indonesia – Vietnam Art Dialogue' exhibition will provide meaningful benefits for artists and the wider public of both countries by enhancing mutual understanding and enriching our knowledge and appreciation of the artistic traditions and contemporary expressions of Indonesia and VienNam," he said.
“I also hope that through this artistic engagement, we will gain a deeper understanding of each other’s character, culture and way of life through the universal language of art.”
The exhibition remains open until June 5 at Lotus Van Art & Community Hub, 99 Nguyen Thi Thap street, Tan My ward./.
VNA
