VietNamNet Bridge – The ancient town of Hoi An showcases a convergence of antique traditional architectural styles. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and attracts legions of tourists every year. This romantic town’s beauty and history make it an inspiring destination for artists and art-lovers alike -- and it’s just a 45-minute drive from the APEC events in Da Nang.

Let’s take a look at some art galleries in town:

Arthouse Viet Nam Gallery

The owner has long cooperated with young contemporary artists living in and outside the country.

Paintings: Arthouse Viet Nam Gallery was founded in 2004 by Vietnamese artist Vu Trong Anh. — VNS Photo Trong Anh

The gallery was founded in 2004 by Vu Trong Anh and now has subsidiaries in Phu Quoc, Da Nang, and Nha Trang.

Anh, who is a landscape artist, said his goal for opening the gallery was to nurture and represent local potential talents, such as Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Nguyen Hung, Dang Van Tu, and Dang Can, whose art styles range from expressionism, impressionism and abstract painting to sculpture. Most works displayed at the gallery are affordable and provide a comprehensive view of contemporary arts in Viet Nam.

At present, Anh works on an art project called “One Day being a Painter”, which helps foreign tourists take a painting class and learn to paint in one day. He also promotes other artists’ works at galleries in Malaysia, Hongkong and Indonesia.

Location: 26 Nui Thanh Street, Hoi An City. Tel: +84 989 391 486.

T&G Art Gallery

One of the first galleries founded in Hoi An, the gallery opened in 1995 at the private studio of owner and painter Truong Bach Tuong.

Original: T&G is one of the first galleries founded in Hoi An. — VNS Photo Bach Tuong

The self-taught artist has chosen composition art the medium to communicate his perspective on the world. Having held numerous jobs to make ends meet before opening the gallery and painting, Tuong puts all his perspective in vivid paintings and mysterious arrangement works.

“Each painter has their own visual way of feeling art. I believe in my works,” he said. “When they are completed, I will know if they are responding to me and what kind of story they tell the viewers.”

In 2003, Hoi An Fine Arts Club (Hoi An FAC) was established with the aim of connecting all local artists and exhibiting their works. T&G holds exhibitions of works by Hoi An FAC members, including abstract, pictography, silk, traditional lacquer, oil, acrylic and sculpture works.

Location: 46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An City. Tel: +84 905 292 282.

Cotic Art Gallery Rest Stop

An open gallery and cafe with small models of sets from famous tuong (Vietnamese classical dramas), Cotic Art is also a perfect oasis to relax and recuperate before heading out to discover the rest of the city.

Rest a while: Cotic Art Gallery displays art and offers a cafe where visitors can relax. — VNS Photo Hoai Nam

Located near the folklore museum, Cotic offers a beautiful display of arts in the front yard and a nostalgic cafe inside. The collection is not large, so most visitors treat the space as a quick respite instead of a major destination.

Cotic displays a wide range of pieces by local artists. All of them are original and reflect Vietnamese traditions, including painting, figurines, ceramics and clothing. The spot should not be missed if you are in the area and want to purchase artworks that are fully unique, not mass-produced. The prices for local artists’ paintings are a bit higher than at other local galleries, but the work is worth it.

Location: 60 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An City. Tel: 0510 3916 060.

Xu Dang Trong Arts and Crafts Centre

Xu Dang Trong (Cochinchina) is a uniquely designed, colourful house where visitors can see beautiful furniture and buy traditional scarves and Vietnamese-style pottery vases.

This and that: Xu Dang Trong (Cochinchina), housed in a historic mansion, offers beautiful furniture, traditional colourful scarves and Vietnamese-style pottery vases. — VNS Photo Hoai Nam

The house was opened in 2015 to introduce tourists to Hoi An’s artistic side. It was built in a spacious antique house that used to be a popular trading store. The architecture is romantically antique.

The arts and crafts, so meticulously created by skilled local craftsmen and designers, from teabags to handmade furniture, are both faithful to tradition and well-made by contemporary standards.

Location: 9 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street,  Hoi An City. Tel: 0510 3910 216.

Ngan Xua Art Gallery

This gallery displays lacquer and paper paintings. Lacquer is one the oldest and most traditional art in Viet Nam. The gallery is proud to have local lacquer artists’ paintings, using traditional technique with true lacquer carved on wood.

Traditional: Ngan Xua Art gallery displays lacquer and paper paintings. — VNS Photo Hoai Nam

Original artworks, including abstract, landscape, portrait and street art are displayed and sold here.

Laura Page, an Australian tourist, said she made her favourite purchase in Viet Nam at the gallery.

“Beautiful paintings made of lacquer and eggshells…

I’m so happy with my painting and wish to buy more but I don’t think they sell online, I guess I will have to just make another trip to Hoi An.”

Location: 95 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An City. Tel: +84 510 3911 467.

VNS