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King of all: One of the 60 paintings of tigers by painter Le Tri Dung currently on display. |
HA NOI — Painter Le Tri Dung is exhibiting 60 paintings of tigers, representing a 60-year human life cycle, at the Maison de Arts, Ha Noi.
The 60 paintings feature the animal in different postures, styles and colours expressing different emotions, meditation and gentleness.
"Besides the fearlessness and power that tigers are normally portrayed with, meditation and gentleness here convey an abstract meaning that Viet Nam will escape the economic downturn in 2010, providing it puts deep thought into any actions it takes," said Le Tri Dung at the exhibition opening ceremony.
This year, Viet Nam is celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi. The exhibition is being held specifically to open the new year under the protection of the tiger, according to Nguyen Nga, owner of the gallery. She also reveals that Dung has painted 60 more paintings to compensate for some of the original exhibition pieces being sold, among which was Dung's favourite, depicting one white, and one black tiger.
"Whenever I draw a tiger, I think of a character such as a swashbuckling hero, a feudal intellectual, or a farmer. Each of the tigers represents an individual in present-day society. They are all stately," said Dung.
Dung also likes to paint pictures of horses and has so far completed 1,200, 12 of which are also on display at the exhibition.
Dung was born in 1949 in fairly unusual circumstances after his parents left Ha Noi for the countryside at the height of the battle for independence against France. Unable to find a doctor in such a remote location, his father was forced to deliver the baby in the house of a stranger, who, as fate would have it, kept horses in his yard.
At the age of six, Dung was gifted a photo book of horse paintings, painted by a famous Chinese artist. Having read many adventure stories, Dung's hobby of painting horses came naturally. Like his visions of the tiger, his horses are brave, fearless and strong, but also charming.
"Painting tigers is a new challenge and an inspirational subject for me. A tiger does not dance romantically on hooves under the sun [like horses], it has a strong face and a powerful body. A tiger's inner expression reveals an august strength – a tiger is brave and successful," said Dung.
In eastern religion, the tiger is one of the four mystical creatures: the dragon, the phoenix, the tortoise and the white tiger. The tiger represents strength and success. It is the king of all animals and the lord of the mountain, said Hoang The Phuong, a visitor. "The tiger exhibition by Dung is a joyful representation of a love of art and people. It is beautiful and vivid," he said. The exhibition will last until the end of this month at Maison des Arts, 31A Van Mieu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS