HCM CITY — Chinese artist Chen Yi is displaying his watercolour paintings depicting Vietnamese landscapes and people at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum.

The exhibition titled Hành Vân Họa Cảnh (Travelling and Painting) includes 101 paintings.

Half of the works feature landscapes where the artist has travelled in Việt Nam since 2010, including Hạ Long Bay, Phú Quốc Islands, Mũi Né Beach, Đà Nẵng, Hà Nội and HCM City.

“The country has rivers, mountains and beaches which have been a great inspiration for my paintings,” said Yi.

Vietnamese fishermen, workers and the elderly are featured in the paintings.

Yi said he hoped the exhibition would improve understanding between Vietnamese and Chinese artists and people, and introduce a beautiful Việt Nam to the Chinese people.

He is also showing paintings of China, which depict ancient villages and scenes of nature and locals in Hangzhou City, Lishui City, Naxun Town and Shaoxing City in Zhejiang Province.

Yi studied multimedia arts at the China Academy of Art, studying contemporary art concepts and forms. He has also worked in video and installation.

However, after graduation, he returned to painting, and then took a post-graduate programme in watercolour painting at the China Academy of Art.

Yi studied with famous Chinese contemporary artists An Xin and Ren Zhizhong.

He has travelled to European countries such as France, Spain, Italy and Portugal to learn more about watercolour painting.

His exhibition in HCM City is organised by the Việt Nam – China Cultural Exchange Club and the city’s Fine Arts Museum to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the establishment of Việt Nam – China diplomatic relations.

At the opening ceremony yesterday in HCM City, Nguyễn Văn Tình, chairman of the Việt Nam – China Cultural Exchange Club, said: “The exhibition of Chinese artist Chen Yi is a meaningful people-to-people exchange which contributes to the friendship and understanding between the peoples of Việt Nam and China.”

The event was held in Hà Nội last October. In HCM City, it will be open until February 8 at 97A Phó Đức Chính Street in District 1. — VNS