Painter Hoang Dinh: "I use visual signals in my paintings so people can feel Hanoi"

Surrealism in the paintings of artist Hoang Dinh

Artist Hoang Dinh (1953) graduated from high school and university at the University of Industrial Fine Arts, and has a master's degree in Art & Design in the Netherlands. He was in charge of the Graphics Department at the Open University for 19 years.

He has been passionate about painting since childhood and has continuously practiced painting alongside his graphic design work. Painter Hoang Dinh has participated in many group exhibitions and successfully organized solo exhibitions. He has been awarded many art awards at home and abroad, and has many works preserved in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Singapore and Vietnam.

“Some psychiatrists from abroad come to Vietnam to buy my paintings to treat mental illness and balance their patients. The energy in my paintings does not bring people down but brings positivity for a better life. My inspiration for creation mainly comes from my travels both domestically and internationally, to places where normal people live, ancient villages... For each country I visit, I will paint about 5 paintings so that one day I will open an exhibition in Vietnam to introduce the countries I have visited,” artist Hoang Dinh shared with Travellive.

During the Covid years, he mainly stayed at home, and the male artist also painted many different types of flowers.

Hanoi through every visual signal

In 2023, to mark the milestone of turning 70, artist Hoang Dinh opened a solo exhibition called “Home” with a series of paintings about Hanoi through his own way of expressing memories of Hanoi and his family. The exhibition featured works by the artist’s four children.

There have been many artists who have painted Hanoi’s Old Quarter, but in Hoang Dinh’s paintings, he still shows it in a very different way. No matter what the scene, Hanoi still appears with cheerful colors that exude positive energy, not dark or sad. Thus, viewers will feel it with all their senses in each painting.

The artist also said that in this exhibition, the inspiration for many paintings comes from songs about Hanoi and he hopes viewers can feel this.

“This time, when I painted about Hanoi, I listened to a lot of Hanoi music. I listened to the lyrics of the musicians who wrote with all their love for Hanoi. When I painted each street corner and small alley while listening to music about Hanoi, sometimes I shivered because I felt like it was my own life in it, from the simplest things. I mainly used visual signals and my dreams and felt the dreams of others to bring them to art,” said artist Hoang Dinh.

“I just want to express a thought about life, in this exhibition are the Hanoi streets that I have memories or dreams about. I take those images from my dreams and express them with a brush, into colors and images. To me, that Hanoi street is not only images and memories from my memory, but also everyone's street. Everyone has a street, a house inside them. I want to bring those visual signals, those dreams associated with everyone's memories and dreams, so that viewers can have the same thoughts. Everyone has their own stories on that street corner,” the artist said.

As a lifelong painter, having had many successful group and solo exhibitions, artist Hoang Dinh still could not hide his emotions when talking about “Home”. Sharing about the exhibition idea, artist Hoang Dinh also said that the exhibition name comes from the meaning of the children growing up, traveling all over the world, and now returning to reunite with their parents. The children's paintings are meant to congratulate their father on his 70th birthday.

The artist added that the exhibition is also an opportunity for him to remember his childhood, the many memories, memories of Hanoi streets, the images that he often dreams about. Each painting is a memory, a story. His children's paintings are thoughts, emotions, and also their memories or recollections of their childhood family.

“I only have names for some paintings, the rest are untitled so that people who have lived in Hanoi can feel and imagine every street corner and alley,” the artist confided.

At the age of 70, artist Hoang Dinh still has a passion for painting. He also cherishes very long-term projects. In 2025, artist Hoang Dinh plans to present another exhibition at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum with a completely new theme, a unique style that cannot be confused with anyone else.

Phuong Thao is the Editor of Travellive Magazine. She is passionate about traveling and loves to capture moments with her camera in every land she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are her favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao