Chuyện Trò 1, Conversation 1. Pastel by Đỗ Dũng

HÀ NỘI — About 100 paintings, sculptures and ceramic artworks are on display at an exhibition to welcome the Year of the Dog at Hàng Da Galleria in Hà Nội.

The exhibition entitled Tuất Dome 2018 features artworks by nearly 20 artists including Nguyễn Quốc Thái, Đỗ Dũng and Trần Anh Quân.

From northern Hải Phòng City, Thái has two paintings at the exhibition.

Nhớ, Mising. Oil on canvas by Hoàng Anh Tuấn

His oil-on-canvas paintings are sized at 40cm by 50cm titled Mậu Tuất 1 and Mậu Tuất 2. Thái uses red and shades of blue drawing a dog on red background in Mậu Tuất 1. The painting portrays a dog lying down with its head turns back to discover something.

“The dog is familiar animal to us, when I was invited to paint a dog for this exhibition I thought I could paint it immediately," Thái.

The dog is one of the 12 animals of the Vietnamese zodiac.

Tuất, Dog. Oil on canvas by Lâm Đức Mạnh

This is the fourth consecutive year the exhibition of the 12 animals of the Vietnamese zodiac has been held ahead of Tết (Lunar New Year) by the G39 artist group and Hàng Da Galleria.

Đỗ Dũng is one artists with many dog paintings at the exhibition. Four of his bright pastel paintings bring warm feelings at the beginning spring.

In the pastel paintings entitled Chuyện Trò 1 (Chat 1), Chuyện Trò 2 (Chat 2) and Chó Mực and Chó Đá (Black Dog and Stone Dog), dogs are personified as people.

Green Day oil on canvas by Trần Anh Quân

"I focus on the exchange between a stone-made dog and a real dog," said Dũng. "It is the stone-made dog but it also has soul.”

"I am told many interesting stories about stone-made dogs. Stone-made dog statues are placed in front of house gates to watch. A tale tells that a thief has to bring item back because he was scared of stone-made dog watching him," Dũng said.

Tuất Dome 2018 also features paintings on landscape, flowers and woman representing the beauty of spring. All the works are for sale until February 12 at No1 Hàng Da Street. — VNS