VietNamNet Bridge – Contemporary art works performed on do (poonah) paper are featured in an ongoing exhibition at the VICAS Centre for Assistance and Development of Contemporary Arts (VICAS Art Studio) in Hanoi’s Dong Da District that began on Wednesday.

Inspiring: Phố painting by artist Tao Linh on poonah paper.

Entitled Góp Dó (Contributing Poonah Papers), the exhibition showcases 43 paintings by 13 artists from HCM City, Hai Phong and Hanoi. Each of the paintings, which demonstrates the artist’s own visual language and creativity, offers diversity in visual effects.

“Poonah paper is a traditional material. If it is preserved in a traditional way like printing traditional pictures on it, such tradition will gradually pass away,” addressing Bui Quang Thang, the arts director of VICAS Art Studio, at the opening ceremony.

“So what should be done to enliven that tradition? There are many ways, among which is artists making contemporary works on the material, which is how they preserve, inherit and develop tradition,” he added.

Poonah paper is a frequently-used material for many artists in the Góp Dó exhibition like Tao Linh, as he said, the paper suits his painting style.

“I painted with water and powder colours on poonah paper at first, but gradually, I tended to minimise the colours and in recent years, I only use black and Chinese ink. I can totally feel the freedom on such kind of paper,” he said in an interview with Văn Nghệ Quân Đội (Military Literature and Arts) magazine.

“I have four paintings selected from three personal stages of creativity in the past ten years for exhibition this time. With such choices, I realise some changes in my technique and visual aesthetics with the paper. However in short, no matter how the creativity of the artists is, all the typical features of Vietnamese poonah paper should be fully exploited,” he added.

Góp Dó will run until December 22.

Source: VNS