five-year period are on show at an exhibition of 836 artworks in Hanoi.
The National Fine Arts Exhibition is held every five
years to review and assess the state of Vietnamese fine arts. The works
awarded and displayed at the exhibition are selected from 5,000 entries
nationwide.
They show the creativity, skill and increasing professionalism of Vietnamese artists.
The works on show include paintings, graphics, installations and
sculptures that reflect different perspectives on contemporary life and
society.
Tran Khanh Chuong, president of Vietnam Fine Arts
Association, who is also deputy head of the organising board, says "The
exhibition presents many works by artists during the renewal process
who are creating a positive movement in Vietnam fine arts and
sculpture. This is the most important event of Vietnam fine arts
this year."
Forty-eight awards were granted including three gold medals, six silver medals, nine bronze and 30 consolation prizes.
The gold medals went to Vu Cuong for Mam Da (Stone's Buds), oil on
canvas; Nguyen Truong Linh for Hanoi Co Cau Long Bien (Hanoi Has Long
Bien Bridge) lacquer; Nguyen Quoc Thang for Nhung La Thu Thoi Chien (War
Letters), bronze sculpture.
Linh's painting was not the
only one at the exhibition featuring Long Bien Bridge , but he is
the winner thanks to different point of view and style of colours, says
painter Le Anh Van.
Long Bien Bridge is portrayed
as a grandiose construction with buttresses painted in dark and light
colours. In contrast, the painter describes the lives of small people
living around it.
The bronze sculpture of Thang tells a
long story of a cruel war. The visitors can see an image of a soldier on
guard, protecting the country. He lets fly with letters amid the
gunfire and smoke. The sad eyes of a woman waiting for the letters – his
wife or his mother – haunts people.
The oil painting Mam
Da reflects life in a mountainous region. Despite the hard life, people,
children and cattle are still energetic.
Rural power: The
oil on canvas Mam Da by Vu Cuong, which shows the power and vitality of
the people in mountainous regions, was granted the Gold Medal.
Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition
Department, says "The quality of the work is quite even, so it was
challenging for the jury and organising board to select the
representative works for the exhibition.
"The artists show
a wide variety and diversity of themes, styles and media. Through the
artworks, they express their inner feelings.
"Many people
think that all cities and provinces in the country have artworks
displayed at the exhibition because this is the national event but
actually, we couldn't select any artworks from nine.
"In
the previous exhibition, the organising board tried to show
representative works of all cities and provinces, but since this year
only the most excellent ones are honoured."
The exhibition will run until Dec. 8 at the Vietnamese Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre, 2 Hoa Lu Street , Hanoi .
After being displayed in Hanoi , the exhibition will be taken to HCM
City Fine Arts Museum and displayed between January 10-26./.
