"Touching Memories" - A Journey Back to Childhood Emotions

The exhibition "Touching Memories" which opened on the afternoon of September 11 in Hanoi was a meeting of five young artists Lam Trang, Tran Nguyen, Dac Tuong, Bui Huan and Hoang Quoc Tuan. Although these guys have different perspectives, different emotions, and different ways of expression, they share a passion and a serious and enthusiastic work with art.

5 artists (from left to right): Bui Huan, Dac Tuong, Hoang Quoc Tuan, Lam Trang and Tran Nguyen at the opening ceremony of the exhibition

The first piece that makes up the exhibition “Touching Memories” is Lam Trang – an artist who has experience with many themes such as landscapes, still life, images of daily life and people. Lam Trang’s works depict images of suburban villages, simple countryside scenes or simply a small corner of the backyard garden.

Similar to Lam Trang, painter Tran Nguyen chose for himself soul-stirring emotions through images of the countryside. The image of the banyan tree at the river wharf, the moss-covered tiled-roof house hidden behind the bamboo groves in the village, the familiar image of grandmothers and mothers... are all encapsulated by Tran Nguyen in his works.

Works by artist Tran Nguyen

Different from the ancient, quiet features with warm colors in the paintings of Tran Nguyen or Lam Trang, painter Dac Tuong brings freshness and brilliance in the color scheme to express the scenery of the Northwest mountains and forests. In Dac Tuong's works, we can feel the dry sunshine of the Northwest mountains and forests, the vastness of flower valleys, and terraced fields in season.

Works by artist Dac Tuong

The special piece of “Touching the Memory” is Bui Huan with his elaborate ceramic works. He was born and raised in a traditional craft village along the Cau River - Phu Lang pottery village. Bui Huan’s works are not simply vases or statues but also contain the spirit and story of an entire craft village.

Ceramic works of Bui Huan

A special highlight in “Touching Memories” is the silk paintings by artist Hoang Quoc Tuan. Hoang Quoc Tuan’s emotions and thoughts focus on the fate of women, so the works he brings to this exhibition are inspired by traditional literary and artistic works.

Sharing about the idea and wishes when launching the exhibition "Touching Memories", artist Tran Nguyen expressed: "The passing of Storm No. 3 has left behind a lot of damage and sadness. With the original idea, we wanted to show art lovers old memories, beautiful nostalgia through the language of painting. The exhibition "Touching Memories" is like a touch point, helping art lovers to reminisce, to look back at things that belong to the past, belong to memories, beautiful things that have become nostalgia for many generations".

During the exhibition, the 5 artists researched sources of information about the countryside, went to those regions, learned about what the landscape looked like in the past, to recreate it in the most emotional way, conveying the spirit of the land and the story in the work.

All 5 artists were born and raised in the countryside, so they found a common voice and emotions that could harmonize 5 distinct personalities. The young artists all have feelings filled with nostalgia and distant memories of their hometown, about the deprivation, joys and sorrows, and even beautiful memories of their childhood. Through the exhibition "Touching Memories", the group of authors wants to show viewers their own beautiful memories as well as those of the audience appearing in their paintings.

Attending the exhibition “Touching Memories”, journalist Ngo Ba Luc shared: “When I attended the exhibition, I felt like I was on a train back to my childhood memories. The artists’ works evoked a lot of emotions for me about my old village. I was born and raised in the countryside, then became famous in the city, so when I saw the paintings here, my childhood memories came flooding back to me.”

“Touching Memories” is a combination of the soul of the Vietnamese countryside, the idyllic countryside scenery, the beauty of the Northwest mountains and forests, the gentleness of silk paintings and the uniqueness of ceramics. All of these materials combine to give the audience a profound artistic experience, like a journey back to childhood. Every line in the painting, every pattern on the ceramic, and the image of familiar landscapes evokes memories of the simple, peaceful life of the homeland. “Touching Memories” is not only an opportunity for the audience to admire unique works of art but also an opportunity to explore cultural values.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, 5 artists said that they will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of works in the exhibition "Touching Memories" to support people in flood-affected areas affected by storm No. 3.

The exhibition "Touching Memories" takes place from September 11 to September 17, 2024 at the Exhibition House 29 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/5-hoa-si-mo-trien-lam-tai-ha-noi-trich-tien-ban-tranh-ung-ho-dong-bao-vung-lu-post1120743.vov