It is rare for a relationship as beautiful as the couple painters Phạm Viết Hồng Lam and Tạ Phương Thảo. Both were raised in families with artistic tradition, they were classmates in the 15th class of Vietnam Fine Arts University and taught at the Central University of Art Education.
The exhibition Old colour of the country soul of two painters Phạm Viết Hồng Lam and Tạ Phương Thảo is on display from 2 to 8 January 2023 at Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (No. 66 Nguyễn Thái Học, Ba Đình, Hà Nội).
Painter Phạm Viết Hồng Lam was born in 1946 in Nghệ An, the only son of painter Phạm Viết Song. His father studied at Indochina Fine Arts College and is the first teacher of many generations of famous Hanoi painters. The family’s painting cradle has helped painter Phạm Viết Hồng Lam have an extremely respectable painting career. He received the National Fine Arts Exhibition Award (Silver Medal in 1985, two Bronze Medals in 1990 and 1995), in addition to many other great and small awards. Phạm Viết Hồng Lam’s whole life has been attached to the beloved countryside from war time to peace time. He always identifies himself as a “country painter” because the image of Vietnamese countryside is always throughout his works.
Painter Tạ Phương Thảo was born in 1948, the daughter of painter Tạ Thúc Bình. He is one of the first teachers who taught at Vietnam School of Fine Arts until his retirement and also spent a lot of time composing the folk art program that is still in use today. Inheriting genes from her talented father, with more than 50 years painting, painter Tạ Phương Thảo always clearly shows the seriousness of the profession. She has created thousands of beautiful works, with Tạ Phương Thảo’s bold style that can be recognized at a glance.
Tạ Phương Thảo. Still life 10. 2004. Lacquer. 60×70 cm
The exhibition ‘Old colour of the country soul’ displays 50 works with themes of still life, homeland landscape, women, children… in many materials: lacquer, oil, gouache, silk… in combination with the delicate shaping style, bring a strong visual impression to the viewers.
It is also the beloved image of homeland, but through the eyes of two artists, each of them finds a different source of inspiration.
The paintings in the exhibition ‘Old colour of the country soul’ by painter Phạm Viết Hồng Lam mostly represent the peaceful and pure Vietnamese village scenes, with graphic style, close-up and tight layout combined with vibrant, eye-catching colors of gouache. He almost omitted the rules of perspective, or if any, it was just an excuse for the artist to convey the beauty of the shape and colour. Existing in his paintings are scenes of simple daily life, but bearing the collective characteristics of village people such as waterfront, communal yard, village pond, field… everything there is beautiful. From the appearance of village girls by the pond, the village’s bamboo fluttering in the wind, or the red cow lying next to a pile of yellow straw, chicks hanging around the corner of the yard… Vietnamese homeland, hidden in it is the affection that the artist sends.
Phạm Viết Hồng Lam. Back from the market. 2005. Oil. 60×80 cm
Phạm Viết Hồng Lam. Dahlia flower. 2004. Gouache. 50×70 cm
Painter Tạ Phương Thảo brings to the exhibition a gentle and clear country spirit with paintings of flowers and still lifes, young women and children with cheerful and optimistic colors. The works of painter Tạ Phương Thảo are a delicate harmony between tradition and modernity. She paints in a realistic way, but the lines, patchs of colors and harmonies in the paintings are highly stylized, with many motifs that are flexible and creative variations from the ancient culture of the nation. For the still life paintings of fruits, daily household objects, the artist skillfully arranged the composition, divided the main and secondary parts, meticulously cared for each line and color to create a tight layout for the work, attracting the viewer’s eye.
Painter Tạ Phương Thảo also loves to paint on the subject of highland women. Her characters always exude the gentle, soft, lovely and graceful beauty of Vietnamese women. The artist always looks everything with loving and affectionate eyes to create conversation with her own identity in artistic creation.
Tạ Phương Thảo. Three H’Mông girls. 2001. Lacquer. 70×90 cm
The unique combination of two painters Phạm Viết Hồng Lam and Tạ Phương Thảo in ‘Old colour of the country soul’ will be an interesting and attractive artistic experience for the art-loving public. We look forward to the next exhibitions of the couple in the future so that we can admire more unique and interesting works.
Some artworks at the exhibition:
Tạ Phương Thảo. The quartet. 1997. Silk. 55×70 cm
Phạm Viết Hồng Lam. Kỷ Mão [A lunar year of Cat]. 1993. Gouache. 42×51 cm
Phạm Viết Hồng Lam. Season of chinaberry flower. 2004. Silk. 60×80 cm
Tạ Phương Thảo. Waiting. 2001. Lacquer. 80×70 cm
Written by Viet Art View
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