Vietnamese Exhibition In Madrid

* How did you get an exhibition in Madrid?

Initially, Gallery Italica, which is the leading dealer of Asian art in Spain, asked me to co-ordinate an exhibition of works by 10 contemporary Vietnamese painters. Representatives of the gallery came to Vietnam to talk to me about it. When they saw my paintings, they suddenly changed their minds. Instead of presenting my works together nine other painters, they decided to exhibit only my works.

Before presenting the paintings at the Gallery Italica, I had to send a document about my works together with a CD of my paintings to the gallery. The CD then was sent to Casa Asia, a consortium of Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ajuntament de Barcelona, which has the sponsorship of H.M. King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. Operating to promote cultural links between Spain and Asia, Casa Asia agreed to host my exhibition in collaboration with the Gallery Italica.

* How did you feel when the work was approved for the exhibition?

I was happy at a number of levels. At first, I was going to be among 10 painters presenting my works in a group exhibition, but then I became the only one and the first ever Vietnamese painter to exhibit her work in a country which is the homeland of world-renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Francisco Goya and Diego Velasquez.

* What did present in the exhibition?

I selected 30 lacquer and 20 oil paintings, plus an installation piece entitled Mam Song (Life’s Sprout). I was confused about what to call the exhibition, but the problem was solved when I read a piece by Spanish art critic Juan Adriansens. Although he lives in another country and has never met me before, he was able to feel and understand what I express in my works and everything hidden inside. We had a common emotional link, and I decided to name the exhibition Emotional Communion.

* How did people in Spain respond to your exhibition and your paintings?

Before the exhibition, 20 of my paintings had already been purchased by Spanish people who knew about the exhibition through articles and a catalogue published in Spain. The words "beautiful colours", "emotional", "perfect combination of Vietnamese tradition and modern style" were among the comments from the exhibition’s visitors. Some visitors asked me to put together another exhibition next year, while some others placed orders for my paintings after I come back to Vietnam.

Emotional Communion was originally scheduled to run from February 12-29 but, due to the large number of visitors, the exhibition was extended through March. And Gallery Italica has also planned a solo exhibition for me in Brussels in June and another in Spain next year.

* Twenty paintings were sold even before the start of the exhibition. Were you surprised by the figure?

I was very surprised because the Spanish people appreciated my work so much. I don’t paint for commercial purposes. I follow my feeling whenever I work with my brush. It can be said that I am a multi-style painter because my style changes with the state of my emotions.

(Source: Viet Nam News)