Paintings by Đỗ Doãn Châu, Bùi Tuấn Thanh and Doãn Hoàng Lâm are displayed together. Photo coutersy of the organiser

HÀ NỘI — Three prominent artists from two generations have come together for Dreaming of Where It Began, an exhibition of works that range from realist painting to spiritual expression.

Featuring People's Artist Đỗ Doãn Châu, Bùi Tuấn Thanh and Doãn Hoàng Lâm, the exhibition offers three distinct artistic perspectives, exploring personal memory, emotion and changing times.

Named after a work by Châu, the exhibition creates a reflective space that recalls the roots of creativity and the profound emotions shaping each artist’s inner world.

Châu graduated with distinction in painting in Slovakia and is a former director of the Việt Nam Drama Theatre. He is an acclaimed theatre designer with more than 20 gold and silver medals from national theatre festivals.

At the exhibition, Châu traces a visual journey from the bustling city to introspective contemplation through delicate expressionist brushwork, drawing on more than five decades of work in theatre and fine arts.

Thanh presents simplified realist paintings in bright colours, capturing the peaceful beauty of the capital. He graduated from the first class of the University of Industrial Fine Arts and has trained several generations of talented students, many of whom went on to establish successful careers.

Meanwhile, Lâm presents highly metaphorical works that explore a melancholic and mystical inner world through new expressive materials.

A graduate of the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts, Lâm moved from stage design to painting, creating works that reflect the complex and instinctive emotions of an artist.

Together, the works bring fragments of the three artists’ memories across different periods, reflecting both continuity and change as the past intersects with the present. They offer distinct personal perspectives while connecting audiences who share an appreciation of art, memory and the city.

The exhibition runs at Area 75 – Art & Auction Art Centre in Hoàn Kiếm Ward. — VNS