This two weeks there is going to be a special theme on MarjoleinBookBlog: Vietnam.The theme blogs start today, with a review of the opening of the exhibition Vietnam Beauties 2: A modern perspective, which is currently to be seen at the Vietnam Art House in The Hague, The Netherlands. It is not often that Vietnamese artists show their work in the Netherlands, this is now the second exhibition Vietnam Art House has shown, and hopefully many more will follow.
Vietnam is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and this results also in a vibrant and lively new art scene. Vietnamese art knows many influences, but the most important one are French because Vietnam was a French colony in the nineteenth century. With the millennium of Chinese domination starting in the 2nd century BC, Vietnamese art undoubtedly absorbed many Chinese influences, which would continue even following independence from China in the 10th century AD. However, Vietnamese art has always retained many distinctively Vietnamese characteristics.
A wide variety of Vietnamese artists are shown: Ngoc Tuong is shown by two stillives of colorful ceramics. Dang Khoat is presented in the gallery by four beautiful red paintings of Banana Flowers..
Phan Hoa is specialized in Oil Paintings of lotus flowers and paintings with the theme bamboo.
The painting Highland Girl 1 by Ngoc Thang is one of the most impressive stillives, the same counts for the lovely Bamboo Frame paintings by Minh Phuong. These paintings show colored glowing figures with the characteristic Vietnamese conic hat, the non la, on a black background
There is very much to see in the exhibithion and it certainly is too much to give an example of every artist in this review, pay a visit to the exhibition to see it all.
The collection is presented in a beautiful building in the centre of The Hague, even on the stairs there is beautiful artwork to be seen.
Even if you are not familiar with Vietnamese art, I really recommend this exhibiotion. The organizers of the exhibition are very helpful to guide you through the gallery of excellent artworks and answer all your questions about Vietnamese art and culture. Go and the world of Vietnamese art will open up in front of you.
For more information, or to make an appointment to visit the gallery, please visit www.vietnamart.eu
