• Photos explore Spratly islands

The exhibition showcases 160 paintings and sculptures made from various materials, the result of creation camps and field trips to various coastal regions and islands.

"Organizing an exhibition is a meaningful activity to encourage coast guards and residents living in border regions to contribute to protecting the nation's sovereignty," said Pham Kim Binh, chairwoman of the Hanoi Fine Arts Association.

"Through them, the artists expressed their patriotism and responsibility to the nation," she added.

Painter Thu Thuy, who worked on the Ceramic Road in Hanoi, presented a painting of the national flag she made from pottery on Truong Sa Lon Island in the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago which was inaugurated in June.

She spent one year creating the flag at Bat Trang village, Hanoi. The process involved bringing 300,000 ceramic pieces to the island and combining them to create the 310sq.m flag.

Painter Nguyen Doan Son displayed a small sketch named Binh Minh o Truong Sa (Sunrise in the Spratlys).

"I made a field trip to 12 islands of the archipelago and had only two hours on each island, so I only had time to portray Truong Sa through sketches," Son said.

"On this trip, I discovered an emotional connection to Truong Sa and this exhibition is only the beginning of my work there," he said. "I will display bigger paintings of Truong Sa in the future."

The exhibition will run until August 28 at the Exhibition House, 45 Trang Tien Street , Hanoi.