Leading lacquer painters showcased in City

The 147 exhibits on show at Ngu Sac (Five Primary Colours) include the latest oil, lacquer, and silk paintings by four Hanoian artists and one from HCM City.

Le Xuan Chien, a lecturer at the HCM City Fine Arts University and vice-chairman of the HCM City Fine Arts Association, said the five colours symbolise the artists' five different styles and materials.

Chieu, who normally uses lacquer and oil on canvas to depict landscape, is exhibiting his first ever silk paintings.

"I used canvas to strengthen the silk and create soft lines and cloudy effects for my paintings," Chieu said.

The 56-year-old has used bright colours like red, yellow, blue, and green especially in works like Hoa Tau (Performing in a Concert) and Co gai voi chim (Girl and Bird).

He also has four large lacquers and 14 oils on canvas works.

Chieu has held several solo and group exhibitions in Vietnam and in countries like Germany, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea.

His paintings are kept at museums in Vietnam and Japan.

Nguyen Van Chien, one of the five artists, has 33 paintings in traditional lacquer and materials like egg shells, mother of pearl, and oil.

His works feature landscape and life in villages, streets, and valleys in the north, predominantly in black and brown, including Dem Bao Loc Nam Dinh (Night in Bao Loc Temple in Nam Dinh Province) and Pho Tam Bac Hai Phong (Tam Bac Street in Haiphong).

He graduated from the College of Fine Arts in Hanoi and used to work as a designer at Phap Luat (Law) newspaper.

He has held exhibitions in Vietnam, Italy, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands.

The exhibition also features 30 large lacquer works of women by Tran Quang Hai, 30, mixed media paintings about life in the countryside by Le Tuan Anh, and 39 impressionist oil on canvas paintings by Ngo Van Cao.

The exhibition will remain open until December 31 at 97A Pho Duc Chinh, District 1.