HÀ NỘI — Artworks by students from six secondary schools in Hà Nội are showing for the first time at an international exhibition titled Rivers of the World in Việt Nam’s capital and London.

The exhibition, which opened yesterday to celebrate the new school year in Hà Nội, includes art works of students from 65 schools in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Việt Nam, Zambia, the Philippines and the UK.

Rivers of the World aims to help students expand their knowledge and understanding, and encourages them to think about local and global issues.

The Vietnamese secondary schools represented include Gia Thụy (Long Biên District), Đông Thái (Tây Hồ District), and Phương Mai (Đống Đa District).

Under guide painter Nguyễn Hoàng Giang, Vietnamese students created six artworks depicting how rivers have struggled with terrible monsters living in polluted conditions. The students also painted carps being released into colourful rivers by locals for the Kitchen God Festival during Tết (Lunar New Year), as well as other impressive features of rivers.

The artworks were made from natural and recycled materials, including vegetables, tubers, dried leaves and old newspapers.

Students from the UK’s Ormiston Park Academy in Essex painted the famous Thames River with ships passing by.

Ethiopian students painted Lucy, who lived about 3.2 million years ago and whose bone fossils were discovered in the Awash River basin.

Rivers of the World has been organised in partnership with the Thames Festival Trust and the British Council since 2006.

The project enables young people to explore, celebrate and share their local environment, learn about other cultures and engage with global issues. It also provides opportunities for pupils to work with talented professional artists to create unique pieces of art for public display in London and other cities.

The exhibit in these schools will run from now until the end of this month. — VNS