Hà Nội hosts nostalgic painting exhibition of Hải Phòng native

Artist Mai Duy Minh (left) in his painting at the opening ceremony. Photo courtesy of Hanoi Gallery Studio

HÀ NỘI — A collection of paintings by Hải Phòng native artist Mai Duy Minh are on a dislay in Hà Nội. 

The exhibition Land and People of Tam Bạc tells the intimate story of all the emotions from the artist’s creative journey over the past 25 years. 

The working-class areas depicted are still calm, as if Hải Phòng was standing still outside the flow of investment and renewal. And the portraits of the workers’ neighborhoods, the portraits of Tam Bạc Port – the iconic images of Hải Phòng – remain purely poetic and dreamy with a realistic vision of Hải Phòng all found in the paintings by Minh.

After nearly twenty years of going back going back and forth with his beloved city, the emotions of the artist and the works about Hải Phòng, Tam Bạc have changed a lot.

Facing many changes, the artist is full of emotions, with so much nostalgia, sometimes difficult to love and easy to feel sorrow. 

The paintings at the exhibition come from the artist’s own collection, along with some sketches and drawings introduced to art lovers for the first time.

Minh was born and raised in the northern province of Hải Phòng and graduated from Việt Nam University of Fine Arts in 1999. 

Minh previously had two solo exhibitions Space Complex in 2002 at the Atena Gallery and Dust of Life in 2006 at Goethe-Institute. He has also taken part in several group exhibitions. In 2010, Minh received an award from the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

Land and People of Tam Bạc exhibition runs until August 18 at Hanoi Studio Gallery – No 23-25 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street, Ba Đình District. – VNS