The Vietnam Women's Museum, in collaboration with Le Ba Dang Memorial Space and Lan Tinh Foundation, organized an art exhibition called "Origin", displaying the unique works of overseas Vietnamese artist To Bich Hai. The exhibition is not only a simple art event but also a journey that brings viewers back to the original values, memories and deep emotions about their homeland and roots.
Painter To Bich Hai
Born in 1947 in Mong Cai, painter To Bich Hai is a Tay ethnic, with a passion for painting from an early age. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Lausanne (Switzerland), opening a creative path that lasted more than half a century. In 1968, she officially settled in France, where she continued to pursue her artistic path with a unique style - both modern Western breath and deep Eastern tradition.
“I had the opportunity to go to Italy and saw how beautiful oil painting was, so I learned about this material. After a while, I went to the Guimet Museum in France, where they mainly focused on Asian works. From then on, I wanted to start finding myself again,” To Bich Hai shared.
The artistic stages of painter To Bich Hai
At that time, To Bich Hai was passionate about collecting antique dolls. That passion inspired her to create many works about dolls, about the image of young girls and European women. For a long time, she diligently collected and created, until her collection reached about 50 precious dolls. However, an unexpected incident happened one night when all her dolls were stolen. The shock was so great mentally that she decided to give up her long-standing passion. She left France for the US to buy a farm and gradually found peace in nature, instead of the world of dolls that she had been attached to for many years. After that, she moved back and forth between the US and France continuously and developed her passion every day.
The logs of wood were brought back from France by To Bich Hai.
The exhibition "Origin" is a self-portrait of her journey to find her roots, where culture and memories blend in every line and color. Although living far away from her homeland, To Bich Hai's art is always imbued with love for her motherland, the place that nurtures her soul and inspires her creativity.
At the exhibition space, two special works “Listening to the whispering stones” and “Listening to the sighing trees” open up a silent dialogue between humans and nature, where each stone and each tree root speaks its own voice.
Works in the series "Listen to the whispering stones"
Collection of works "Listening to the trees lament"
The series of oil paintings in the exhibition made a strong impression because of their large size, depicting the image of tree roots tightly twisted around the sturdy tree trunk, like nerve fibers connecting the artist's memories. The visual effects that To Bich Hai created in his paintings not only made viewers admire his skillful technique but also evoked deep thoughts about the connection between humans and nature.
Not only stopping at painting, To Bich Hai also experiments with many different materials such as graphite, wood sculpture, installation art. In her paintings, white patches are used skillfully, creating a magical space, where stones have souls, telling their own stories. Small creatures jostle, follow each other, then are alone in the vast, indefinite world - all blend into a surreal, poetic painting.
By breathing life into each work, To Bich Van's exhibition takes viewers through every range of emotions.
In addition to her abstract works, To Bich Hai also presents a series of still life lacquer paintings - a fresh perspective on the origin of nature. In this series of works, she uses the image of fruit slices as a metaphor for the flow of life, for the simple but meaningful things in all things.
In addition, the series of children's portraits is also a notable highlight of the exhibition. The innocent faces and clear eyes of the children not only reflect the artist's inner world but also open up her own memories of the journey she has experienced in a foreign land.
The exhibition "Origin" is not only an opportunity for the public to admire works of great artistic value, but also an opportunity to listen to the story of a female artist who is devoted to art and always concerned about her roots and cultural identity.
Exhibition "Origin" - To Bich Hai
For To Bich Hai, painting is not only a form of creativity but also a means to help her connect with her homeland, with what is most familiar in her mind. Although living and working far away, each of her drawings still contains a deep nostalgia for her homeland, a strong love for the country and people of Vietnam. This exhibition not only brings an emotional artistic space but also a gentle but profound reminder of the sacred connection between people and their roots. And there, among the colors and drawings, we find ourselves on a journey back to the most primitive things.
The exhibition "Origin" opens from March 7 to 25 at the Vietnamese Women's Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi.
