The exhibition displays more than 30 watercolor works, inspired by the national source, a train ride back to the past. There, artist Doan Quoc is like a child far from home, returning to the old memories of a mossy Hanoi, an ancient Hue citadel, a little bit of the light left over from yesterday.

All seem to be memories drifting away in the past, making people long to search, collect, preserve, cherish and present again through the beauty of painting, where the brushwork of color and light spreads...

According to artist Doan Quoc, the idea of ​​these works continues from his first solo exhibition "Like a memory" held in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022. The works are not only still life paintings but also extend to landscapes, contexts and lifestyles, helping viewers visualize more clearly the culture he wants to convey.

The still life paintings in the exhibition act as a bridge between the past and the present. The objects are witnesses to history and time, through many changes of ownership, the rise and fall of times... they themselves speak of nostalgia and the past.

Images of chrysanthemums, roses, lotus flowers... have been associated with Vietnamese people since ancient times. That beauty shines brightly, spreading its fragrance in a way that is both quiet and lively, both mysterious and fragile, both free and bound, both wanting to rise proudly and yet wanting to droop down to rest, both clear and turbid, both real and unreal...

The 9X artist believes that these contradictions are mirrors reflecting the multifaceted nature of many human beings. Looking back at history, looking back at memories... is actually to illuminate our own selves today. Knowing how to return is so that we can move forward tomorrow.

Regarding the process of creating the work, artist Doan Quoc spent a lot of time researching remaining cultural documents through written records, images and paintings from ancestors. "And more importantly, it is personal experience through direct drawing trips to record what remains in the present. That helps me have deeper feelings about the land and people of Hanoi, as well as Hue", artist Doan Quoc shared.

Not born and raised in Hanoi, artist Doan Quoc (28 years old, from Quang Ngai) is like a strange traveler who sees Thang Long with all the new, pure love, curiosity and fascination. And then, seemingly simple things have a strange attraction and there are quintessential things of Hanoi, Doan Quoc thinks that he himself cannot paint more deeply... but the sincere heart for this place is very clear and genuine.

Artist Doan Quoc has been tirelessly pursuing watercolors, achieving many successes, and has organized many large-scale watercolor exhibitions both domestically and internationally with his colleagues. Since 2020, he has been diligently researching and painting watercolors inspired by culture and tradition. The works are like a prism looking back at the past, telling a unique story.

The artist always feels responsible for spreading watercolor materials to the community. Most recently, in 2023, Doan Quoc won the third prize at the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Creative Awards with the work Where Cities Converge.

The exhibition “Searching for Memories” by artist Doan Quoc lasts until August 18 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi).

Vietnam - China - Photo: NVCC