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Go and draw
At the "Draw - Travel - Bamboo" exhibition, artist Dinh Quang Hai (Hai Tre) presents 91 works, which are carefully selected glimpses from his journey of "traveling and painting".
For three years, artist Hai Tre's brushstrokes tirelessly traveled to many places across the beloved S-shaped land of Vietnam, from the misty mountains to the southernmost tip of the country. He went, observed, felt, and then distilled beauty through watercolors, paper, and brushes.
Artist Dinh Quang Hai (Hai Tre) was born in 1977 in Hang Tre Street, Hanoi.
From there, the four chapters of the exhibition "Draw - Travel - Bamboo" include:Spectacular natural landscapes, the rhythm of the land, bustling cities, and time-honored heritage.It is also crystallized. These are interconnected waves, leading the viewer from natural roots to enduring cultural values.
He has made his mark in numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally, and is currently a member of the International Watercolor Society (IWS).
LIVE"A wonder of nature"Artist Hai Tre evokes a sense of origin, where nature is vast like a magnificent epic, possessing within it the power of self-creation and self-destruction."The Breath of the Earth"He depicted ordinary, everyday life in the fields, rural markets, thatched roofs…"A bustling city"He captured the subtle, unchanging beauty amidst the myriad of new things in the rhythm of city life. Finally,"A legacy passed down through generations"As a reminder of cultural roots, a strong land is one that retains its inherent positive characteristics amidst the changes it undergoes to adapt.
The journey of many lifetimes
For artist Hai Tre, this exhibition is just a stop along the way, a chance to look back on the early chapters of his "travel and paint" journey. As long as he continues to travel, he will continue to paint. Travellive had a short conversation with artist Hai Tre!
The solo exhibition “Draw – Travel – Bamboo” by artist Hai Tre will be on display at Lotus Gallery (Tan Thuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) from November 15th to December 7th, 2025.
PV:SIR, WHERE DID THE "DRAW - WALK - ON BAMBOO" IDEA ORIGINATE?
Artist Hai Tre:When admiring the paintings of Bui Xuan Phai, I thought that if he had continued traveling and painting, Vietnam would have an incredibly magnificent and beautiful collection of paintings. Although I can't compare to him, I also enjoy painting landscapes like him. Moreover, in my generation, transportation is much easier, so I decided to start a journey across Vietnam to paint. There, I would simply travel and focus solely on painting.
Besides that, I also noticed that foreign artists have used watercolors to paint beautiful landscapes of their countries, making them popular works. This means that watercolor landscape paintings are well-received by many people. Many can view them and feel a sense of familiarity. Therefore, I also tried to create a series of paintings about Vietnam using this medium.
PV:WERE YOU A PREVIOUSLY A "TRAVEL PERSON"?
Artist Hai Tre:Since my student days, I've loved traveling to see and observe. When I decided to travel, I only thought of it as an experience. But traveling is also a way of life, like the saying "life is a journey." When you travel, you learn so much, which is why I prioritize travel experiences first, then painting. I wanted to showcase what I knew through my paintings, but in those early years of wandering, I realized I knew so little.
That's why I've slowed down in recent years. From traveling through different places, I've lived in those places to gain an inside perspective. When you're a tourist visiting Saigon, you see the city from a traveler's point of view. But when you're a Saigonese, you appreciate Saigon from a different perspective.
"Painting - Traveling - Bamboo" is also the self-confession of a wandering artist, a love song unique to the land and people of Vietnam.
During the process of creating this series, there were years when I stayed in just one region and painted like a local person painting for their homeland. I enjoyed making my paintings more profound in that way.
For me, "traveling and painting" is like living many lifetimes. There are lifetimes as a Hanoi resident, a Hoi An resident, a resident of the Central Highlands… Each day, my painting and storytelling skills are honed and refined through these different lives. From the viewer's perspective, they will encounter me randomly in different stages of my life.
PV:HOW DOES ANH DUNG HÒA BALANCE TRAVEL AND DRAWING?
Artist Hai Tre:When I started, I thought of myself as a professional traveler, able to go anywhere, stay anywhere. But as I "traveled and painted," I realized I also needed to be someone who could absorb the local culture. Only when I transformed myself into a "sponge," able to absorb every aspect of the local people's customs, lifestyles, and culture, could I create a beautiful painting.
I'm currently on my second round of visits. In each place, I'll be staying for several years, not just a few weeks like before.
PV:WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DOES THIS EXHIBITION HAVE FOR YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY IN PURSUING PAINTING?
Artist Hai Tre:When I first started, I thought I'd finish this journey quickly. But the further I went, the more I enjoyed it, and I realized I would pursue this journey for the rest of my life, with no other exhibition besides "Painting - Traveling - Bamboo." That's the only way I can see my intellectual growth.
For example, in this exhibition following my three-year journey of traveling and painting, looking back at the paintings from the first year, I see that I am now a different version of myself, with more experience and more progress in my brushwork…
PV:BEHIND THESE BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS LIE LIFE PHILOSOPHIES REFLECTED FROM HIS JOURNEYS. WHAT IS THAT PHILOSOPHY FOR YOU?
Artist Hai Tre:The work I do reflects my inner self. For a painting to be beautiful, I must first cultivate myself. On my journey, I began by cultivating myself to discover beauty, to see the sublime in the scenery, or to understand my own inner self. Only when my inner self is good and I am loving can I paint a beautiful picture.
Additional information:
Artist Dinh Quang Hai (Hai Tre) was born in 1977 in Hang Tre Street, Hanoi. He graduated from the Lacquer Painting Department of the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts in 2001 and had previously achieved success in programming, photography, and event organizing before returning to painting in 2016. He has made his mark in numerous exhibitions both domestically and internationally, such as "Beloved Doai Land" (Duong Lam, 2024), "Life" (Six Sense Con Dao, 2023), and "Resurrection" (Lotus Gallery, 2022). He is currently also a member of the International Watercolor Society (IWS)...
The solo exhibition “Draw – Travel – Bamboo” by artist Hai Tre will be on display at Lotus Gallery (Tan Thuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) from November 15th to December 7th, 2025.
