Exhibition connects souls of Vietnamese, Italians

A painting exhibition by renowned Vietnamese artist Van Duong Thanh is underway in Italy’s Passignano sul Trasimeno town, offering visitors an insight into memories of her childhood on Vietnam.

Artist Van Duong Thanh (L) presents a painting to Passignano sul Trasimeno Mayor, Sandro Pasquali (Photo: VNA)
Artist Van Duong Thanh (L) presents a painting to Passignano sul Trasimeno Mayor, Sandro Pasquali (Photo: VNA)

On display are 30 oil and lacquer paintings featuring the country and people of the Southeast Asian nation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on June 11, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung said that art, together with music, is a bridge connecting the souls and hearts of Vietnamese and Italian people.

This exhibition is part of diplomatic and cultural activities held by the embassy in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (1973-2023).

Thanh said that she is honoured to be invited by Ambassador Duong Hai Hung to conduct this exhibition as well as to create works for the Presidents of Italy, Malta and Cyprus.

Along with Passignano, the exhibition is being organised in Perugia province’s Umbria and Assisi towns from June 11-15.

Considered among Asia’s talented international female artists, Thanh grew up in Hanoi and studied for 12 years at l’Ecole de Beaux Arts, Indochine and at the Vietnam Academy of Fine Arts.

Through her distinctive style of using a subtle combination of Asian and European heritage in which Western techniques depict traditional motif of the natural world, women, children and flowers in more than 1,800 paintings, Thanh successfully inspires a large number of both domestic and international art lovers. The harmonious composition of vibrant colours, reflection of its emotional value and touches of expressive semi-abstraction make her paintings unique.

She has received, among other awards, the highly regarded ‘International Excellence of Art of CFMI’, US-France in 1995 and 1997, and ‘Glory of the Nation’ of Vietnam in 2007.