HÀ NỘI Veteran painter Trương Ngọc Hiên will mark her 80th birthday with the opening of her third solo exhibition, Phố và Hoa (Street and Flower), at the Ngô Quyền Exhibition House in Hà Nội.

The painting 'Thu Hà Nội' (Autumn in Hà Nội).Photos courtesy of artist

The exhibition, running from September 11 to 20, will feature more than 50 artworks created in recent years. Rich in lyricism and infused with traditional Vietnamese aesthetics, the works – primarily rendered on silk and dó (poonah) paper – reflect Hiên’s deep emotional connection to nature, her homeland and its people. Her subjects are drawn from everyday life and approached with a distinctly feminine sensibility: simple yet profound.

Living in Nghi Tàm, near the Quảng Bá flower market by West Lake, Hiên finds endless inspiration in flowers. Over half of the works on display depict floral themes, including Hoa Thủy Tiên (Daffodils), Nơi Cửa Đình (At the Temple Gate), Vũ Điệu Thủy Lan (Dance of Water Hyacinth), Lan Tím (Purple Orchids) and Hoàng Lan (Ylang-ylang).

Among them, Hoa Thủy Tiên stands out as a symbolic still-life that celebrates the purity of the daffodil while evoking feelings of clarity, nobility and peaceful hope. In contrast, Piêu Flower – inspired by the decorative motifs on the traditional piêu scarf of the Thái ethnic group – exemplifies Hiên’s signature style: modest yet richly ornamental, blending national spirit with romantic inspiration.

Painter Trương Ngọc Hiên works from her home studio in Nghi Tàm, Hà Nội.

Originally from Yên Phụ, a village by West Lake, Hiên expresses particular affection for her piece Thu Hà Nội (Autumn in Hà Nội). Depicting moss-covered rooftops in the old quarter from a balcony view, the painting evokes nostalgia for a timeless city where flowers and streets merge in a slow poetic rhythm.

Her love for the Vietnamese landscape is also evident in works inspired by places she has visited, such as Làng Chài Thanh Hóa (Thanh Hóa Fishing Village), Hoàng Hôn Cát Bà (Cát Bà Sunset) and Bản Thái (Thái Ethnic Hamlet).

Vũ Điệu Thủy Lan (Dance of Water Hyacinth).

Two historically themed pieces, Bộ Đội Cụ Hồ Về Giải Phóng Thủ Đô (Uncle Hồ’s Soldiers Liberate the Capital, oil on canvas) and Lên Đường Giải Phóng Tây Bắc (Marching to Liberate the Northwest, silk) – stand out as heartfelt tributes to the national struggle for freedom and peace.

Born in 1946, Hiên began painting at age 12 under the guidance of her first teacher Phạm Viết Song. She was admitted to the Việt Nam Intermediate School of Fine Arts in 1963, studying alongside notable female artists such as Đỗ Thị Ninh, Đặng Thị Khuê and Lê Kim Mỹ.

After graduating in 1966, she worked at the Animated Film Studio before dedicating 34 years to the Propaganda Department of the Hà Nội Information Office – a period marked by her commitment to art that served both the resistance and the broader sociopolitical landscape.

The silk painting 'Lên Đường Giải Phóng Tây Bắc' (Marching to Liberate the Northwest).

While working, she continued her education at the Hà Nội University of Fine Arts from 1975 to 1979, further refining her artistic practice.

Despite her professional obligations, Hiên has always nurtured a personal artistic world.

“Deep down, I only want to paint the things closest to me – streets, flowers and memories,” she said.

Today, in her modest home in Nghi Tàm, the 80-year-old artist continues to paint quietly, surrounded by watercolours and blooming flower pots. For her, each painting is a breath of life – a simple yet enduring joy.

Her exhibition Phố và Hoa opens to the public from September 11 to 20 at 16 Ngô Quyền Street, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội. VNS