INSPIRED BY ITALY - Bùi Duy Khánh’s watercolour painting is on display at the exhibition “Italy: From Plein Air to Atelier” in HCM City. Photo courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY — The timeless beauty of Italy is the main topic of watercolour paintings by Bùi Duy Khánh and Dương Thụy, which are on display at the exhibition “Italy: From Plein Air to Atelier” in HCM City.

The exhibition is co-organised by the Consulate General of Italy in HCM City and Patron Art Space, with the support of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam. It is part of a series of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and Italy.

The exhibition displays 30 works, featuring a harmonious symphony of Italy’s unique natural and cultural heritage through the perspectives of two contemporary Vietnamese artists.

Khánh’s paintings are inspired by the colours in oil paintings and frescoes in Italy, the interaction of light and shadow in Italian architectural masterpieces, along with the marvelous landscapes of the country.

Self-taught artist Khánh, 51, is currently the chairman of the International Watercolor Association in Việt Nam.

The native of Hải Phòng has joined several exhibitions in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. He was the curator of the first International Watercolour Painting Exhibition in Việt Nam in 2015, and a member of the jury of the International Watercolour Competition in Turkey and India in 2017.

His paintings are displayed at the Huế Museum of Fine Arts and HCM City Museum of Fine Arts, and at Krabi Museum and Chiang Mai Museum, Thailand.

APPRECIATING BEAUTY - A visitor views paintings at the exhibition. Photo courtesy of the organisers

Meanwhile, Thuỵ’s paintings reflect the beauty of nature in Italy, ranging from the colour of the sky, and the shape of trees to the reflection in water.

Thụy, 46, is a graduate of the HCM City University of Architecture.

He participated in many group exhibitions in Việt Nam and in many countries such as the 2015 International Watercolour Group Exhibition in Indonesia, and the fourth Silk Road International Arts Festival in 2017 in China.

In 2021, he held his first solo exhibition named Thụy Khúc (The Song of Thụy) in HCM City.

The organisers will launch an art tour and talk with the exhibition’s curator Lê Phạm Ngọc Minh from 10am to 12pm on July 7.

The exhibition remains open until July 9 at LAGarden Restaurant in Thủ Thiêm, Thủ Đức City. — VNS