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The "Vibrant Spring Colors" group exhibition will take place from February 14th to 24th at 218A Pasteur. Prior to that, from February 8th to 14th, a spring fair, part of the program, will be open with numerous stalls showcasing diverse handicrafts in various materials and designs. After February 14th, the stalls will be removed, making way for an exhibition of paintings and art installations by 13 artists, open to visitors throughout the Tet holiday.
The "Vibrant Colors of Spring" exhibition is currently taking place at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association.
The pottery garden and the story of fire.
Stepping through the doorway, the first thing viewers notice isn't the shapes or colors, but the spring atmosphere emanating from the vibrant blossoms of peach and apricot trees. Amidst the flowers, dozens of works by 13 artists are harmoniously arranged like small chapters in a long story about the new season.
The journey begins with the ceramics space of artist Pham Nguyen Anh Thi and painter Huynh Xuan Huynh - known by the artistic name Huynh Ceramics. There, fire is not just a firing tool, but the ultimate creative element, determining the color, spread, and even the "character" of each glaze layer.
The ceramics exhibition space displays works belonging to two famous Southern Vietnamese ceramic styles: Lai Thieu ceramics and Cay Mai ceramics.
Mr. Thi has spent many years pursuing the Cay Mai and Bien Hoa pottery styles, particularly fascinated by the imagery of mythical creatures – dragons and phoenixes – symbols of auspiciousness in Eastern philosophy. Each piece is a combination of traditional techniques and aesthetic sensibility: ivory white, jade green, earthy brown, warm yellow glazes… blend together in the transformative effect of the wood-fired kiln. The unpredictable transformation of the fire makes each piece of pottery unique, as if spring itself has its own soul.
In this exhibition, the theme "Vibrant Colors of Spring" is expressed through floral motifs, soft curves, and images of apricot blossoms on a background of ivory white, jade green, brown, and yellow glazes - the characteristic colors of the famous apricot blossom pottery in Southern Vietnam.
In dialogue with the plum blossom ceramics are the cups, plates, and paintings of artist Huynh Gom - a native of Kien Giang province who has been on a journey to revive the Lai Thieu ceramic tradition since 2018. He founded the Nang Ceramics brand and also serves as a researcher of Lai Thieu ceramics and a ceramic artist.
The classic patterns on the familiar glaze of Lai Thieu pottery are refined and modernized by him with contemporary brushstrokes. This fusion creates an interesting rhythm where tradition is not confined to nostalgia but breathes with the contemporary, naturally entering today's life.
Hands that keep spring here
Leaving the pottery garden, viewers step into the space of handicrafts – where spring is carved, woven, and sculpted by patient hands.
Beehien's booth – a leather sculptor with over 16 years of experience in applied arts – impressed with its meticulousness, almost to the point of meditation. Bee officially dedicated herself to leather sculpting over 10 years ago and has since found a material that can fully convey her personal emotions.
The stall sells handcrafted leather carvings.
Imported cowhides from Australia or Germany are processed, shaped, and sculpted entirely by hand. Leaves, flowers, and veins stand out like vibrant 3D structures. Some pieces take a month to complete, while others can take up to three months. This time is not just about labor, but also a dialogue between the artist and the material, transforming a flat surface into a painting with depth and soul.
In addition, there is Thao Moc Decorative Arts, offering sculptural products made from clay combined with composite materials, creating diverse and durable designs.
Sculptures made from a combination of clay and composite materials.
In another corner, umbrellas made from jute paper are hung high, their outer surfaces painted with vibrant colors, adding an artistic touch to the exhibition space. Below this area, artisans are diligently carving watermelon rinds into auspicious characters, wishing blessings for the new year.
These spaces are not just for viewing, but also for listening to the sound of knives striking materials, smelling the faint scent of leather, earth, and paint. Art is no longer a distant concept, but becomes as familiar as the carved objects used in one's own home.
Artistic corners in the exhibition
A corner of tranquility and serendipity
Nestled in the deepest part of the exhibition is the world of Nguyen Thi Diem Phuong. She is both an artist and a craftswoman who makes handcrafted jewelry from seashells and conch shells. There, the rhythm shifts from vibrant to tranquil.
Phuong's still-life oil paintings and watercolors mainly revolve around spring themes: flowers, cats, and soft, clear colors. Without elaborate compositions, her paintings are more about emotion, like a peaceful snapshot amidst the bright, warm spring days.
Phuong doesn't sell her paintings commercially on a mass scale. She only exhibits them at exhibitions of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association and sells them to those who are "destined"—those who truly take the time to stand before the artwork, feel it, and connect with it. This buying and selling method makes each painting not just an object, but also an encounter.
Interspersed among the paintings are pieces of jewelry made from seashells and conch shells – materials that carry the essence of the ocean. In the spring setting, they create a different rhythm, as if reminding us that the new season comes not only from the land but also from the sea, from distant journeys.
Phuong's stall sells jewelry made from seashells and conch shells.
In addition, handcrafted fabric products such as bags, keychains, clothing, conical hats, red envelopes, etc., contribute to completing the colorful picture of the exhibition. The exhibition is open from 8 am to 9 pm (Sundays until 12 pm), closed on February 17th (the first day of Lunar New Year), at 218A Pasteur Street, Xuan Hoa Ward (formerly Ward 6, District 3).
Open throughout the Lunar New Year holiday, the exhibition is an ideal place to visit and learn about the culture and artistic and craft activities of freelance artists.
Amidst the ever-changing rhythm of Tet celebrations, "Rộn Ràng Sắc Xuân" (A Lively Springtime) chooses to tell the story of the new season through the materials and enduring skill of the artist's hands. There, spring blossoms not only on the apricot blossom branches, but is also hidden within each layer of glaze, each carving, each brushstroke, as a reminder that beauty, when cherished, can endure long after Tet has passed.
