VietNamNet Bridge – Young artist Vu Bach Lien has opened her first solo exhibition entitled Tu Nhin (Feel It Myself) at the South Korean Cultural Centre in Ha Noi, where she is showcasing 47 out of the 120 works of art she created last year.

Mad rent anagram: La Em (It’s Me), digital art photograph by Vu Bach Lien, is on display at the exhibition.

“Lien’s artistic creations are not considered to be Vietnamese fine art, however, she easily shows us common things between Vietnamese and South Korean people,” Kim remarked.

Lien’s master, painter Le Huy Tiep, finds that when people view Lien’s works, they may feel sympathy and recognise their own emotions inside the artwork, because Lien expresses simple things in life that everyone may experience.

“Lien doesn’t hesitate to show us her feelings through smooth and lively images instead of with attractive words; these are the true emotions within her soul,” Tiep says.

Lien follows a school of symbolism. Through three genres, monoprint, etching and digital art, Lien bares her heart and makes an impact on visitors. Some artwork reflects her own experiences such as Ly Biet (Separation), Tu Hoi (Self Wonder), Doi Thoai Cam (Silent Dialogue) and Doc Thoai (Self Talk), while some show her opinions on life such as Thien (Zen), Thoi Gian (Time) and Thien-Ac (Good-Evil).

“Looking at her work, my first thought is that they are surely created by a beautiful woman,” says visitor Minh Duc.

“Objects in her works are quite simple such as a fish, a feather and a dry leaf, but it all makes me think of joy, sorrow, gathering and separation,” he remarks. “Lien is so skilful in using colours to convey her topic and then urge the viewers to contemplate.”

The trademark image in Lien’s works is the lotus, she says, because her name means “White Lotus”.

“Even if my name weren’t Bach Lien, I would still be inspired by the lotus; a flower symbolises the tender beauty of Vietnamese women,” she shares, “and flower, bud and stem are so beautiful and suggestive.”

“The lotus still has beauty, even when it has faded,” she says.

Lien’s greatest happiness is her son, portrayed in many of her photos and paintings, who is a symbol of happiness and hope for her. Lien also creates many works of herself showing charming feminine beauty and her innermost feelings.

The sorrow in Lien’s artwork does not make visitors pessimistic and weary, she expresses her sorrow gently. She compares her sadness to drinking coffee. “First, you drink and make a face from the bitter taste; it is a bit painful, but if you drink slowly you can taste the poetic delight inside it,” she says.

“So, although I’m sad, I’m not in a hurry to drive it away, I view it as the spice of life,” Lien shares.

When done viewing the exhibition, some may feel more cheerful, some may feel more melancholic. Whatever their emotion, viewers can know they will not be alone in feeling, because the artist surely shares the emotion with them, said Tiep.

This first solo exhibition which is Lien’s gift to her father will run until this Saturday at the South Korean Cultural Centre on 49 Nguyen Du Street in the capital city.

(Source: Viet Nam News)