Cách Ly 1 (Quarantine 1) painting by established artist Phạm An Hải. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Nhân Dân (The People)’s newspaper and the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association displayed paintings created during social distancing on Monday in Hà Nội.

Tranh Trong Mùa Giãn Cách (Painting in Social Distancing) displayed nearly 130 paintings which were made during the coronavirus pandemic-induced social distancing period in April.

The artists include Phạm An Hải, Lê Anh Vân, Phạm Luận, Lê Thiết Cương, Đào Hải Phong, Đặng Xuân Hòa and Đặng Tiến.

Hải, one of the most famous abstract painters in modern Vietnamese fine art, displayed Cách Ly 1 (Quarantine 1).

“Social distancing was a rare time forcing me to be locked in four walls,” said Hải. “It helped me slow down and have time to think about myself and people around me.

“A happy life and community relationships are always the most durable bond between people. That's what we have known before but we only felt the deepest and most profound experiences in the social distancing time.”

The painting has blue, white and dark green, showing the artist's skilled use of colour to express the lonelineness of a man wearing a mask in his house.

Hải won the second International Abstraction and was honoured by Sotheby’s Auction House as one of Asia’s top contemporary artists.

Artist Vân said he thought quarantine not only brought deep feelings about love and community relationships but also gave him time to enjoy the beauty of his living environment.

He painted Đường Làng (Village) with yellow, white and black featuring a peaceful and quiet village.

Contrary to this rural scene, artist Luận drew Nhà Thờ Street in Hà Nội. The busy and touristy street seems quiet and calm under his strokes.

Artist Hòa brought two semi-abstract paintings entitled Vắng Lặng (Deserted) and Niềm Tin (Belief).

“The empty and uninhabited paths represent the stillness of the soul of each individual,” said Hòa.

“The initial victory against COVID-19 shows that belief has helped society to unity and work together in fighting the pandemic which is an extremely difficult problem.

For artist Tiến, each day of social distancing seems to grow longer. He chose to draw more, read more books and learn about COVID-19 to kill time.

“In my family, it is quiet strangely though we all stayed at home,” said Tiến. “I recorded truthfully what happened in my family with my eyes.”

The artists have made contributions to encouraging people and helped raise awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the association's chairman Lương Xuân Đoàn. 

"The paintings emotionally make their personal creativity," he said. 

The paintings were published in a book which will be free to spread optimism and convey a humane. Please contact telephone number 0914687177 to register for a copy. 

After the one-day display at Nhân Dân newspaper's office, the paintings will be exhibited at Ministry of National Defence, 1B Nguyễn Tri Phương Street at the end of June. — VNS