Landscape, a painting by Vũ Thái Bình.

HÀ NỘI — Contemporary fine arts created on dó (poonah) paper offer a special aesthetic experience for visitors, Trần Khánh Chương, vice chairman of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association said at the opening of the exhibition Góp Dó yesterday in Hà Nội.

As dó paper is well-known as a traditional medium for folk paintings of Đông Hồ and Kim Hoàng, the artists use dó to express modern issues with their own contemporary techniques.

“The delicate and light paper has become a popular material for many Vietnamese artists,” said Chương.

“The ivory paper is thin but durable creating a special visual effect when the artists use colours to paint on it. Dó paintings are as fascinating as other types such as silk paintings and oil on canvas.”

The exhibition gathers painters of different ages including Nguyễn Nghĩa Cương, Nguyễn Đoan Ninh, Vũ Thái Bình, Nguyễn Minh Hiếu and Hà Huy Mười from Hà Nội; Đặng Tiến, Trần Vinh and Đoàn Đức Hùng from Hải Phòng and Bùi Tiến Tuấn from HCM City.

They have different styles, inspirations and materials, but share the same passion for poonah paper.

A girl with brown hair by Bùi Văn Tuất.

On poonah paper, 75 artworks showcase different techniques of the artists – some use watercolours, Chinese ink and oil, while some paint on different layers of poonah paper and some strengthen the artwork by combining the paper with canvas. 

Bình still follows a realist aesthetic with paintings depicting ordinary life. Mười uses abstract paintings to depict the philosophy of life. Hùng and Tiến present charming paintings of nude models. Other artists express concerns about life, beauty and the urban environment.

The initiative behind the exhibition of dó paintings came from painter Bình. The first was organised last year. While other artists use other materials, Bình focused on dó paper.

“The paper is soft and spongy, so it allows the wet ink to absorb and spread on the surface,” he said.

“For me, only dó paper can help me express romanticism, impressions and emotions. The paper is both traditional and contemporary.”

The exhibition will run until September 8 at the Exhibition House, 29 Hàng Bài Street, Hà Nội. — VNS