Twenty eight oil paintings featuring the artist’s anxiety about the air pollution and its impact on the human body are on showcase in Hanoi.

Subjects wear masks to filter out pollution, or else show skin chapped like a field in a drought. Some are flaccid and fatigued, showing the human toll of pollution.  The art works are made by Nguyen Thanh, a self-taught painter, who has always wanted to bring his own daily experience and feelings into his paintings.

“The environment is exactly what is happening around you, how you feel about the air that you breathe, the food that you eat, the water you drink,” Thanh said.

Through the paintings, Thanh wants to send a message to others to protect the environment, the atmosphere, food hygiene, ect.

Air pollution is becoming more severe in Hanoi, particularly during summer time. The high level of air pollution is the result of factories, constructions and particularly a large number of cars and motorcycles in the city that have crossed their expiry dates. These vehicles are seriously polluting the environment. Hanoian people wear masks everywhere on the streets. Many even choose to stay indoor to avoid air pollution.

The paintings show how pollution is changing the connection between mankind and the nature. They also draw a scenario of how badly the mankind will be taken away from the nature because of pollution.  

Renata Greplova, a Czech visitor said she came to the exhibition for its theme, which is not very a favourite subject in art making. 

“The paintings I think very good, very strong expression and I like it. I am very happy that some artists are able to address this issue,” Greplova said.

She expressed her concern about the environmental problem in big cities, hoping that the publicity of the exhibition will help make people change their habits to protect the environment.

Nguyen Thanh has spent most of his career to paint in a variety of styles ranging from realism to expressionism. He spent a year painstakingly creating the works in the show. The exhibition will run until November 4 at VICAS Art Studio in Hanoi.

VNA