“Buoi Sang Dau Ha” (An Early Summer Morning), painted by Lam Duc Manh, portrays a street corner in Hanoi. The painting is part of Lam’s 32 paintings of street life in Hanoi, which are being displayed in Ho Chi Minh City from May 12-28.
Lam’s work, including this painting “Quan Ca Phe” (A Café), is characterized by his impressionist style.
“My paintings are multi-layered so that different colors, lights, and spaces are connected,” he said.
His painting “Mua Nang Nhat” (The Season of Pale Sunlights) portrays the tranquil atmosphere of old Hanoi streets. Lam said he chose oil painting as the material helps him to evoke various emotions.
Trees with red leaves, ancient houses, and vendors are seen in Lam’s painting “Mot Chieu He” (A Summer Afternoon).
Pursuing the landscape painting genre, Lam found himself preoccupied with thoughts about compositions and how to combine modern and traditional styles many times. Sometimes he stayed up all night to paint or discard work because of his dissatisfaction.
Lam used cool tones in his painting “Pho Hoang Dieu” (Hoang Dieu Street) to depict a late-autumn morning. He said he drew a blurred human figure, which blended in with natural landscapes, with the intention of creating a mysterious effect for the painting.
He portrayed Hanoi’s Phan Dinh Phung street in this painting, which was named “Pho Phan Dinh Phung” (Phan Dinh Phung Street). According to Lam, some scenes in his paintings are from real life observations, while others are based on his memories and imagination.
A golden sunset is depicted in his painting “Chieu Co Loa” (An Afternoon at Co Loa Citadel).
“I love life and the countless colors found in nature, which bring me in peace,” Lam said.
Lam Duc Manh, 51, graduated from Vietnam University of Fine Arts in 1999. In 2001, he had his first personal exhibition in Hanoi. Since then, he has held several displays in different countries, including Vietnam, the U.K., Japan, and the U.S.
In 2015, he started gaining attention for his collection of work based on interpretations of songs composed by late Vietnamese veteran musician Trinh Cong Son.
