Year of the Dragon exhibition opens at Fine Arts Association

Paintings by a group of artists featuring images of flowers and dragons - the icon of the year 2024 - are on display at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association.

The event, Mung Xuan Giap Thin (Happy New Year of the Dragon 2024), celebrates the Lunar New Year holiday which falls on February 10 this year.

On display are 83 works in different materials such as oil, acryic, watercolour, silk, thuy mac (ink & wash), and ceramics.

The event’s themes include spring, love and youth created by 71 artists from HCMC and other cities and provinces.

Images of dragons – which symbolize power, nobility, honour, luck, and success in traditional Vietnamese culture - are highlighted.

Many paintings tell the stories of folk religion in Vietnam.

This religion has various levels: inside the nuclear family (worship grandparents and ancestors); in the whole family (worship the ancestors of the extended family; each family group has a common worship house where the head of the family group maintains worshipping practice); and at national level (Hung Kings Commemoration Day on March 10 of the lunar calendar).

The artists have used their work to feature Vietnamese people, their culture and lifestyle.

Their paintings highlight people and life with ideas hidden within vivid colors and shades.

“All works at Mung Xuan Giap Thin are music and songs about life and love. Images of dragons on many paintings signal the coming of a happy and successful spring,” said veteran sculptor Nguyen Xuan Tien, chairman of the association.

Mung Xuan Giap Thin will run through January 22 at 1 Einstein street, Binh Tho commune, Thu Duc city, HCMC.