HÀ NỘI — The charming beauty of Vietnamese women in áo dài traditional dress provides endless inspiration for artists, including overseas Vietnamese painter Đặng Thông Tuyến.

Tuyến, who has lived in Austria for nearly 30 years, opened his latest exhibition Girl, Moon and Flowers in Hà Nội on Monday, with more than 30 paintings on the theme of women.

“Like most other artists, I’ve found inspiration from the beauty of women, especially Vietnamese women. And nothing is more beautiful than the image of the women in their áo dài. I’ve depicted their beauty with my thankfulness because they are the one who have created my works. My wife is also my muse,” the painter said.

Tuyến’s paintings represent the diversified beauty of women: innocent, vital, charming, and mysterious.

“I was overwhelmed with a smooth feeling when I contemplated the paintings displayed at the Girl, Moon and Flowers exhibition. I think the feeling was brought by the soft colours and the way Tuyến paints the light, which is glittery and a bit vague,” young visitor Minh Hà said.

Born in 1955 in Việt Nam, Tuyến graduated from Hà Nội College of Industrial Fine Arts. He worked in commercial art for several years before moving to Vienna in 1989, where he did different jobs, from jewelry designer to art lecturer, while painting. Tuyến’s paintings have been shown in Austria, Germany, France and Italy.

At present, the artist travels regularly between Vienna and his motherland, which “always is very generous” in offering him endless art inspiration.

Tuyến is now working on a new project focusing on the natural beauty of Việt Nam’s west-northern regions, where he has travelled several times during recent years.

He describes his style: “On my artistic path I encountered different styles. My early works were influenced by strong, abstract feelings and characterized by strong colours and sharp lines. Today you can feel a deep emotional tranquility in my paintings which reflects magical realism with sparkling light and vague colours.”

His Girl, Moon and Flowers is on display at the Việt Nam National Museum of Fine Arts, 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street, until June 6. — VNS