HÀ NỘI — Colourful abstract paintings by veteran artist Trần Lưu Mỹ track his feelings and experiences of life, landscapes, memories and people.

A series of large paintings are on display at his solo exhibition Khoảng Trống (The Void) in Hà Nội.

Painter Trần Lưu Mỹ poses for a photo with his works. — Photo courtesy of the artist

Mỹ was born in 1963 in Hà Nội and has participated in nearly 20 joint exhibitions at home and abroad and one prior solo exhibition in 1999.

Waiting such a long time for a second solo exhibition shows the care and maturity in his art. The time has also led to many changes in his artistic philosophy and career. Calling it the void, the artist said he expects to find spaces in his artworks and gaps in his life as well.

“The exhibition reviews my findings and discoveries in life, art and myself in the past years. It’s also a chance for me to look at me again,” he said.

Viet Nam's first national abstract exhibition was held in 1992, gathering 32 artists nationwide with 100 paintings. Though Mỹ didn’t participate, he and painter Mai Anh Châu hosted other exhibitions in Hà Nội and HCM City. Since then, they have become big names in the abstract genre.

For Mỹ, painting helps him find invisible spaces in the mind. It’s the way he reacts to the world and inner feelings.

Critic Nguyễn Quân said when he looks at Mỹ’s paintings, he remembers words of famous romantic poet Hàn Mặc Tử: “We talk with each other with breath, gradually flowers turns to verse.”

“So do the paintings of Mỹ, we don’t need to talk, in other words, he talks to others through art. Looking into his paintings, I can see the world.

“The white canvas is blank, he fills it up by spaces in his mind, what he feels about life,” Quân said.

“In my opinion, his paintings are not scramblingly inviting, they lure people with delicate aesthetic messages.”

Another friend of Mỹ, painter Đặng Xuân Hòa remarked that due to their large size (1.8m by 2m), the paintings are full of the inner feelings and emotions of a person who has experienced ups and downs.

“In this second solo exhibition, Mỹ seems to discover many new things in his personality and art. I can feel new energy.”

The exhibition will run until November 21 at Art Space, 42 Yết Kiêu Street, Hà Nội. — VNS