Japanese painter Toba Mika has pursued only one topic for 16 years: Vietnam.
Her latest exhibition opened in Hanoi on December 6.

Japanese artist Toba Mika and art critic Phan Cam Thuong.

The exhibition entitled “Nara and Hanoi – Linking Eternal
Capitals” celebrates Hanoi’s 1000th
anniversary and Nara citys 1300th anniversary.

Toba Mika came to Vietnam in 1994, after traveling through
other South Asian countries. According to famous Vietnamese art critic Phan Cam
Thuong, that was the time her career was at a standstill.

In Vietnam, she discovered an eventful life, interesting
contradictions and flexible moves that she did not see in a developed country
like Japan. Since then Vietnam has become the subjectof her works.

Slumps in HCM City by Toba Mika.

She has produced around 100 paintings about Vietnam. Most of
them are landscapes. She organized exhibitions in Hanoi, Hue city and HCM City in
2003 and 2005.

All paintings by Toba Mika use Japanese traditional dyeing
technique called katazome.

Katazome is a method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste
applied through a stencil. In this kind of resist dyeing, a rice flour mixture
is applied with a brush or a tool such as a palette knife. Pigment is added by
hand-painting, immersion or both. Where the paste mixture covers and permeates
the cloth, the dye applied later will not penetrate it.

Katazome consists of 18 complicated stages so not many
Japanese artists use this technique

Railway in Hanoi.

Art critic Phan Cam Thuong said that Katazome is similar to
the dyeing techniques of H’mong or Dao ethnic people in Vietnam.

Katazome is suitable for large-sized paintings like Toba
Mika’s artworks.

Toba Mika, 49, is a lecturer at the Kyoto Seika Art
University, Japan.

Her exhibition will last until December 25 at the Temple of
Literature and the Vietnam Art Museum in Hanoi.

Vietnam’s landscapes in Toba Mika’s paintings:

PV