At the beginning of the Year of the Pig, visit the "12 Zodiac Animals" exhibition.

Drawing zodiac animals is always a significant challenge for artists. It seems easy, but it's actually quite difficult! Drawing an animal that is both realistic and fantastical, both familiar and mythical... The drawing isn't just about making it look real. Many believe that when drawing zodiac animals, the creatures must become symbolic mascots of the year – symbols of the good aspirations that people entrust to them.

But artist Nguyen The Hung doesn't think that way. He shared: "I don't think of the 12 zodiac animals as 12 sacred creatures, representing divine and spiritual elements. When I think of the 12 zodiac animals, I think of the animals that are familiar to me in my daily life. From dogs, cats, buffaloes, chickens to horses, pigs, goats, mice, ... these are all animals that we easily encounter in our daily lives. Only the dragon, which is not real, is not unfamiliar to me either, because it is present everywhere in historical sites, temples, and pillars."

The collection of 12 zodiac paintings displayed in this exhibition consists of 12 paintings, each measuring 60x105cm, rendered in lacquer on canvas – a medium recently pursued by Nguyen The Hung. It's easy to recognize Nguyen The Hung through his familiar, spontaneous brushstrokes, his use of color and a beauty that is both real and surreal, and the layers upon layers of images superimposed in an extremely subtle way, making it difficult for viewers to discern the message the artwork conveys...

For artist Vu Dinh Tuan, it took him more than 10 years to complete a series of 12 zodiac animal paintings. He believes: "An artist painting the zodiac animals is painting their own image, their own life, to speak about human life in harmony with the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth! The zodiac animal reflects the person! And no matter how the zodiac animal is depicted, it must still carry the traditional message of a prosperous and fulfilling life. The series of 12 zodiac animal paintings, released during the Year of the Pig, is a wish for everyone, every family, to have a peaceful new year!"

Indeed, the beauty of complete happiness and family reunion is easily discernible in the woodblock prints of the 12 zodiac animals by artist Vu Dinh Tuan. The animals in this series do not appear alone but in pairs or as entire families with children, displaying powerful, vibrant, and energetic expressions.

The "12 Zodiac Animals" exhibition is open until March 3, 2019 at Hanoi Studio Gallery - 13 Trang Tien, Hanoi.

Quynh Le