Petals in paint: Visitors admire the flowers in Hoang Dao Kinh's paintings. — VNS Photo Minh Thu

HA NOI (VNS) — The flowers in noted architect Hoang Dao Kinh's paintings create a blaze of colour in the exhibition room at the Casa Italia, Ha Noi.

Entitled Hoa Vo Uu (Carefree Flowers), the exhibition of 18 of the works opened on Monday and follows two months of absorbed work.

Kinh said that two months ago, he suddenly found inspiration in the blooming flowers of summer. Every day, he bought a bunch from the market, spent all day admire them and portraying them.

"I let myself drift with emotion and then set to work," he said, "I didn't care about fine-arts styles or other matters.

"Once, when I was feeling greatly elated, I finished one painting in a day."

Kinh lost himself in his paintings as the flowers made him feel happy and peaceful.

"Life is so busy and full of worry, I find tranquility and relaxation in painting," he said.

"Through the exhibition, I want to pass on this happiness to visitors," he said, "I expect that they will also discover similar feelings if they admire my work."

Kinh considers fine arts as a hobby that helps him relax. He's passionate about painting flowers and has organised many exhibitions in Ha Noi, Hue and Warsaw (Poland).

Italian Ambassador Lorenzo Angeloni said Kinh's paintings inspired him with a special energy.

"Kinh shows talent. He is quite professional," he said, "I was charmed by the beautiful flowers and brilliant paintings."

Kinh was born in 1941. He is an expert in preservation and restoration of architectural relics and heritage, an architectural theorist and critic. He has also created many paintings.

He has published books on cultural heritage preservation and architecture. Currently, he's a member of the National Cultural Heritage Committee.

In the last 10 years, he has co-operated with Italian researchers in the restoration of the Cham towers at My Son in central Quang Nam.

With support from the Italian Embassy, Kinh will organise a workshop on Saturday at the Casa Italia and discuss the preservation of cultural heritage.

Through the workshop he will introduce a master course where students can learn to preserve cultural heritage.

Kinh will use profits from his paintings to grant a scholarship to a Vietnamese student to study the preservation of Vietnamese antiquities.

The exhibition will run until June 6 at the Casa Italia, 18 Le Phung Hieu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS