Artist Nguyễn Thu Thủy by her ceramic work in Hà Nội. — Photo toquoc.vn

HÀ NỘI — A large ceramic mosaic mural depicting the friendship between Việt Nam and Germany has been unveiled at the West Lake Water Park in Hà Nội.

The 25m long piece, a design by artist Nguyễn Thu Thủy and her team at the Tân Hà Nội Company, has been created on the wall of the water park with the theme Tình Hữu nghị Việt – Đức (Việt Nam-Germany Friendship).

With a desire to express the love of many Vietnamese people who have lived and studied in different cities in Germany, Thủy sketched the opening picture with joyful children waving flags of the two countries before a wind power scene full of energy.

A natural landscape beauty and typical architecture of famous cities in Germany such as Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Dresden, Cologne, Mainz, Leipzig and Munich are also featured in the picture.

The ceramic mural is displayed with bright colours reflecting modernity, youth and joyful feelings. It has helped completely change the landscape near the water park, particularly the wall which used to be covered by messy graffiti.

Elegant colour tones and the depth of the ceramic artistic work featuring images of Germany's iconic natural, cultural and architectural beauty have made the wall more "luxurious".

Thủy said she was very passionate about creating the picture as an expression of her gratitude toward Germany. She also expressed thanks to the country's government for supporting her during her journalism studies in Germany in 2005. 

During the course, the artist visited many cities in Germany and Europe where the works of Hundertwasser in Darmstadt, Germany, and architect Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain, inspired her to apply ceramics into the decoration of outdoor structures.

The painting is also regarded as a meaningful gift from the German Embassy to the residents of the capital city, according to toquoc.vn, the online newspaper under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

German Ambassador, Dr. Guido Hidner (centre) and artist Thủy (second right) at Monday's inauguration ceremony of the Việt Nam-Germany Friendship ceramic painting. —Photo toquoc.vn

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony on Monday, German Ambassador, Dr. Guido Hidner said he was very excited to introduce the ceramic picture. He emphasised the image of children at the beginning of the picture representing the future of the friendship between Germany and Việt Nam.

The ambassador also stressed the message conveyed in the picture is about a strong and close friendship between the two countries and the noble goals that both are aiming for in environment preservation and protection through active use of renewable energy and environmentally friendly means of transport.

The message also includes the preservation of heritage architecture as an integral part of the spiritual life of the two countries.

Thủy also created the famous mural Ceramic Road by the Red River in Hà Nội. The 4,000m structure was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate as the world’s largest ceramic mosaic in 2010. However, part of it was destroyed in 2020 to help decongest the city traffic flow.

The painting, funded by the German Embassy in Việt Nam, aims to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Germany in 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the picture could not be completed until now.

In May last year, a similar ceramic mural by Thủy themed Tình Hữu Nghị Việt-Mỹ (Việt Nam-US Friendship) was also inaugurated at the new US-Việt Nam Cooperation Centre at Hà Nội's 69 Chùa Láng Street.

That picture starts with the spectacular landscape of the Grand Canyon, a massive gorge located in the state of Arizona.

Thủy used ceramic pieces to depict the changing colours of the Grand Canyon.

The mural also shows the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Empire State Building in New York, both highlighted on the national flag of the US.

Other symbol monuments in the mural are the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore, where the portraits of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the granite surface. VNS