Ceramic paintings by leading artists Lê Thiết Cương, Lê Trí Dũng, Quách Đông Phương, Đặng Tiến, Lý Trần Quỳnh Giang and late writer Nguyễn Huy Thiệp. — Photos courtesy of Nguyen Huy Thiep Art Space

HÀ NỘI — Forty of the nation's leading artists will be on show at a special exhibition to celebrate the 75th anniversary of late writer Nguyễn Huy Thiệp.

The show, entitled Gốm Thiệp, will open in April 4 at the Centre for Art and Culture at 22 Hàng Buồm Street featuring about 200 ceramic artworks by Thiệp and other artists many of whom were his friends.

They include Phan Cẩm Thượng, Lê Trí Dũng, Đinh Quân, Đặng Xuân Hòa, writer Nguyễn Quang Thiều and Lê Thiết Cương.

Coming from all across Việt Nam their works reflect Thiệp's passion for ceramic painting on vases and plates, with all of the pieces on show inspired by his literary works.

The artworks show how the artist, considered the most influential of all Vietnamese writers, understood the literary world, with the 40 taking part aiming to understand him, his life and the life they themselves experienced to form the artworks, according to Thượng.

"They are not simply illustrations of stories but reflections from the writer's life and perspective, along with each individual's style," Thượng said.

The late writer Nguyễn Huy Thiệp and his self-portrait on ceramic.

"Everyone loves him, even those who have almost never met him, but his works have long been imprinted in people's hearts."

The exhibition includes pieces not only created by painters, but also writers and artists from different fields of art, but they are all united by one thing – their admiration of Thiệp.

Thiệp (1950-2021) was considered a phenomenon of Vietnamese literature. Throughout his career, he published 50 short stories, ten plays, four novels and numerous critical essays. Among 50 short stories, Tướng Về Hưu (The General Retires) was considered one of his most successful pieces, being translated into numerous languages, including English, Italian and French.

He won several awards, including the Hà Nội Writers Association Award for Literary Essay, a Medal of French Literature and Arts, and Italy's Premio Nomino Prize. Several of his works were also made into films.

He was one of the first Vietnamese authors whose work focused on the American War and its aftermath and one of the very few having works translated into English and released in America.

When Thiệp was alive, he also painted. Although he was self-taught and had no intention of this replacing his literary life, he enjoyed portraying his friends on ceramic.

The exhibition, co-organised by Nguyễn Huy Thiệp Art Space and Gallery39 with curator Lê Thiết Cương, will be showing for the first time ceramics of globally-known writers such as the late Tô Hoài and Lê Lựu.

After Hà Nôi, the exhibition will move to Củi Lũ Art Space in Hội An Town, then on to Đà Nẵng and HCM City. The exhibition will run from April 4 to 20 at 22 Hàng Buồm Street. — VNS