A visitor looks at Tạ Hải's leaf paintings at the exhibition. — Photo courtesy of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum

HÀ NỘI — At the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum, the exhibition Cuộc Chơi Với Lá (Playing with Leaves) by artist Tạ Hải shows that he has truly turned over a new leaf, showcasing more than 80 of his works created from dried leaves and flowers but also marking a milestone in his more than 60-year dedication to this distinctive art form.

In Tạ Hải’s artistic world, his palette is not drawn from industrial pigments but distilled from nature’s purest elements. Driven by a deep love for the natural world, he uses materials such as dried petals and fallen leaves to create his works.

Art critic, PhD in Art Nguyễn Đỗ Bảo has praised Tạ Hải’s practice, describing it as a refined artistic pursuit imbued with a strong personal identity.

“These creations not only enrich the landscape of contemporary art but also tap into the fundamental qualities of visual expression. Each work represents a profound connection to cultural roots,” said Bảo.

“In dried leaves and withered petals, materials often dismissed as useless, Tạ Hải discovers extraordinary colours pre-arranged by nature itself. He gathers fallen leaves and painstakingly collects what nature has cast aside, breathing new life into them in more beautiful forms.

“In these fragments, he perceives a vibrant, multifaceted existence of their own. It is this sensibility that has led him to choose dried leaves and petals as the primary materials for his distinctive artistic creations.”

Exhibition-goers can encounter a range of understated scenes, from tranquil rural landscapes and romantic autumn forests to the old streets of Hà Nội, alongside his experimental works in still life and abstraction.

The themes in the works of Tạ Hải are often simple and familiar. He paints natural landscapes, rural scenes and forests in seasonal transition. Beyond capturing the beauty of places across the country, he also portrays countries he has visited as well as intimate portraits of his loved ones.

Speaking at the exhibition’s opening, Tạ Hải said the event offered him an opportunity to express his deep appreciation for the wonders of nature through his creative works with dried leaves and flowers.

“My engagement with nature lies in reviving dried leaves and petals which are things we tend to regard as having no value,” said Hải.

“These materials possess a life of their own, simple yet imbued with remarkable potential if we know how to harness and use them. They can still be of benefit and bring beauty to life.

“I often reflect on the life cycle of a leaf. When it falls to the ground, marking the end of one ‘life’, another sprout is already about to emerge. That cycle may be brief, but it is undeniably meaningful.”

Through his works, Tạ Hải conveys a message about the value of nature. Nature is truly extraordinarily beautiful and immensely precious. If people learn to value, respect and safeguard it, nature can provide an inexhaustible wellspring of inspiration for humanity.

Playing With Leaf runs until April 19 at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. Talks with the artists will take place on April 16 and 18 from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. — VNS