HCM CITY — The exhibition “Vietnamese Folk Paintings” has opened at the Cao Văn Lầu Theatre in Bạc Liêu City to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year).

The event features more than 60 paintings from folk painting collections stored by the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum.

Highlighted works include Hàng Trống paintings, a genre of traditional Vietnamese woodcut painting originated by artisans working on the old Hàng Trống Street in Hà Nội.

The art features rituals of ancestor worship. The paintings flourished with the development of Buddhism, symbolising happiness and prosperity. They have vivid colours of yellow, blue, green, orange and lotus pink. 

The paintings generally have two main themes: worship and Tết, focusing on subjects of kings, lords, Buddha, saints and children.

Three gods symbolising longevity, prosperity and happiness are also featured.

Tết paintings depict a joyful life and hang on the walls of houses. 

Vũ Di and Độc Lôi worship paintings of Vĩnh Phúc and Nghệ An provinces are also featured.

Worship paintings paying tribute to tigers, horses and kings are often displayed in pagodas or shrines in the north. The colours of these paintings may have faded over time, but they are still an important part of worship rituals.

Nguyễn Anh Minh, director of the museum, said that Vietnamese folk paintings have a long history of several hundred years. The art features dreams and hopes of Vietnamese people of different generations.

“Through our exhibition, we want to introduce Vietnamese culture and lifestyle through folk paintings to people, particularly youngsters, in Bạc Liêu,” he said.

The exhibition was organised by the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum and Bạc Liêu’s Department of Culture, Information, Sports and Tourism. It runs through February 24. — VNS