A corner of the exhibition ‘Hơi Thở Màu Nước’ (The Breath of Watercolour), which presents nearly 100 watercolour works by nine artists. — Photos courtesy of SBB Healthcare Premium

HÀ NỘI — For the first time in Hà Nội, a clinic has become the setting for an art exhibition, bringing watercolour works into a space where people most need comfort and calm.

Entitled Hơi Thở Màu Nước (The Breath of Watercolour), the exhibition at Santea House – SBB Healthcare Premium presents nearly 100 watercolour paintings by nine artists. Each artist brings a distinct approach to the medium, spanning landscapes, urban scenes, still life, portraiture and abstract expression. Together, the works reveal diverse facets of everyday life.

Painter Hải Tre captures Hà Nội’s street corners during the 2021 ‘new normal’, evoking shifts in how we value the ordinary after a period of upheaval. Meanwhile, Chu Quốc Bình and Hoàng Quốc Đạt continue to explore urban life through intimate perspectives, where seemingly small details carry layers of memory and personal experience.

Nguyễn Phương Bắc offers expansive, energetic landscapes that invite exploration, while Bảo Huỳnh turns to memory and the past as a way of reflecting on the foundations of the present.

Artist Dương Tôn Quốc Thụy moves inward, placing viewers in quiet dialogue with their own emotions. In another register, Nguyễn Thu Hà highlights everyday connections through still lifes and portraits that anchor the spirit in simplicity.

Bùi Duy Khánh approaches nature as a space of harmony, emphasising the value of the present and its unrepeatable moments. Meanwhile, Đinh Minh Thiện opens an abstract realm that draws viewers towards contemplations of being.

Artists take part in a live painting session, creating new pieces directly within the exhibition space.

Speaking about bringing paintings into a clinic for the first time, artist Hải Tre described it as a meaningful moment – one in which artworks are given space in an environment where people genuinely need comfort and connection.

“It isn’t a gallery or a museum, but a setting where doctors, medical staff, patients and their families are under immense pressure," he said.

"The presence of art here can help lighten the emotional weight people carry."

Alongside the displayed works, the opening on May 10 featured a live painting session, with artists creating new pieces directly within the exhibition space. These on‑site brushstrokes offered not only a vivid visual experience but also a powerful emotional connection between the artists and their viewers.

Thu Lan, a guest attending the opening, said she was surprised by the creative approach.

“For so long, people have felt anxious about visiting clinics because of the fear surrounding illness," she said.

"But the atmosphere here feels entirely different – more relaxed, more at ease – making it a gentler place to begin one’s journey of care.”

A guest views a watercolour painting at the exhibition ‘Hơi Thở Màu Nước’ (The Breath of Watercolour) at Santea House.

Sharing the idea behind bringing art into a clinical setting, Santea House representative Phương Vũ noted that medicine and art share a sensitivity – a capacity to listen, observe and honour the fragile yet deeply human aspects of life.

Vũ said: “In many cases, positive emotions are an essential part of the healing journey. With that in mind, we envisioned Santea House, within the SBB Healthcare Premium ecosystem, as a space where emotions are genuinely cared for – a place where art can accompany medicine in nurturing balance.”

To extend the spirit of sharing and the value of healing to a wider community, 20 per cent of the proceeds from artworks sold will be dedicated to SBB Healthcare’s community initiatives.

The Breath of Watercolour is on view at Santea House, Level 6, 199 Trường Chinh Street, Hà Nội. — VNS