By Nguyễn Bình

Phạm Văn Hạng makes a statue at the exhibition in Hà Nội. VNS Photos Đoàn Tùng

The most recent paintings and sculptures from a series of Vietnamese figures made by Phạm Văn Hạng are now on display at his solo exhibition, offering a rare chance for fine arts lovers in Hà Nội.

The exhibition Tự Cảm (Self Feeling) features 60 sculptures and paintings.

Painting Self Feeling No 21 sized 220cm by 140cm is one of the largest at the exhibition and one of the artist's favourites.

"The painting features white caps which always move," said Hạng. "My life is like waves that never stand still."

Self Feeling No 21 is a masterpiece, according to celebrated female painter Văn Dương Thành.

"I dream of drawing like this painting," said Thành. "The exhibition is unique. These abstracts are gorgeous, featuring freedom and humanity. The colours, lines and layouts of the paintings are perfect, while the sculptures are amazing.

The exhibition 'Tự Cảm' is a rare chance for Hà Nội fine art lovers to enjoy artworks by celebrated artist Phạm Văn Hạng.

"Hạng is one of the leading sculptors in Việt Nam. His sculptures have spread across the country. He makes sculptures of Vietnamese personalities vividly. His creations are great."

Hạng is debuting a series of acrylic paintings at the exhibition. The theme of the series is about the connection between the past and the present. The abstracts are painted with different colours. He draws patterns on votive paper money used in funerals, as well as ropes which he glues to his paintings

"I first had the idea for using these patterns 30 years ago," Hạng said. "I use modern colours to connect the past and the present. There is always a struggle to connect the two."

Paintings from the new series made by Phạm Văn Hạng in 2022 - 2023.

The artworks on display are diverse symbols with soft curves and shapes such as a dove, a heart or a drop of blood.

Self Feeling exhibition is held by daugiaVN.vn, which connects artists and collectors through auctions.

"We and the artist respect the feelings of the visitors and want each visitor to have their own exhibition name," said a representative of the organisation board.

Coming to the exhibition, visitors will see statues of celebrities, including songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn, scholar Đào Duy Anh, and painter Trần Văn Cẩn.

The statues are a small part of his series of more than 100 statues, which he has created since 1977.

"The expressions of the statues are stunning," said fine arts researcher Phan Cẩm Thượng at the exhibition opening ceremony.

"Each statue is an independent artwork. Hạng is a good example of hard work being recognised by professionals.

"Periods of hardship in the past made him strong and creative. In art, he is confident and we are faint-hearted. There are two people in him, one is his individual self, and the other is his role in society. I see both roles in his works."

Hạng, 81, born in Quảng Nam Province, has made many public sculptures, including the 12m-high Mẹ Dũng Sĩ (Heroic Mother) in Đà Nẵng City, Thời Đại Mới (New Age) in Long Xuyên Province, Tấm Lòng (The Kind Heart) in Cà Mau Province, and Thành Quả (Achievement) in Đắc Lắk Province.

The most remarkable is Mẹ Dũng Sĩ, praised for its aesthetic and educational value. This bronze memorial was unveiled in 1985 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the liberation of his native province.

A painting by Phạm Văn Hạng at the exhibition.

Hạng grew up in hardship and his parents passed away early. When his father was dying, he told the artist, "My dear, you shouldn't study art, we cannot afford this."

But Hạng knew that art was his calling, and he largely eschewed studying for working. He rarely uses the term 'artist' but instead calls himself a 'hard worker'.

"It takes four or five years to study at university. But for real-life experience, it takes half a century to learn it," he said.

"I'm just simply a 'hard working man' doing my best. I follow a bit of my instinct and my feeling, and that's it. I wish that somebody would listen to my stories with all my heart and patience to understand what I went through. I have even been insulted."

During his career, he has won several awards, including the National Prize for Ten Years of Vietnamese Sculpture in 1994, and the top Vietnamese Architecture prize in 1995. He is also co-author of a book about the making of the famed Dragon Bridge in Đà Nẵng City.

Hạng won the first prize at the logo design competition for Phú Tài Park in Quy Nhơn City in 2021. The award-winning logo features three dove wings, symbolising the north, the centre and the south of Việt Nam.

A sculpture with soft curves by Phạm Văn Hạng.

He is currently collaborating on a 15m high sculpture to be ready in 2025 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification.

The artist is unlikely to retire at this stage. The work draws him in far too much. He cannot stop.

"As for my art, I think creativity only comes from solitude and pain. I choose this destiny from the call of my heart. An artist's life is an adventure," he said. VNS