Walking on the Beach is one of the paintings being displayed at the exhibition, in which Barbara Pellizzari has depicted a Vietnamese girl whom she met at Phu Quoc Island's beach. — VNS Photo Minh Thu

HA NOI (VNS) — Italian artist Barbara Pellizzari is displaying images of everyday life in Viet Nam with the perspective of a foreign painter at an exhibition that opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

Pellizzari said that when she sees a city, she sees its people.

Entitled Attimi (Moments) – Images of the Ordinary in Viet Nam, the exhibits show ordinary moments in everyday life such as people flying kites, taking a siesta, smoking while taking rest, and returning home and reading a newspaper.

"What impressed me the most was the fact that people have their own rhythm and they have their own time," said Pellizzari. "They go with nature."

"I cannot detach myself from what surrounds me. My work is the means of revealing how we can all be as deeply involved in our surroundings as I feel myself to be," she added.

Pellizzari said that the paintings capture moments of quotidian existence, which show surprising originality.

The Italian artist used do (poohnah) papers, the traditional paper of Viet Nam, in her work.

A visitor at the exhibition, David Harries said he enjoyed paintings that use do paper, but this was first time he had seen a painting's canvas being inlaid with do paper.

"The artist has put her mark on these unique artworks by using colours, tones and composition techniques," he added.

Pellizzari said that while the moments and figures belong to Viet Nam, the colours are hers.

"I try to use different colours in my paintings to express the beauty of a dynamic tropical country," said Pellizzari.

She was born in Turin, an important economic and cultural centre in northern Italy, and has trained in fashion and theatre design, and painting conservation.

She has worked in the field of art restoration with several art institutes in the US, Austria, Pakistan and China.

Pellizzari and her family moved to Viet Nam in 2012 and have been living in HCM City since then.

She feels that her life in Viet Nam has allowed and contributed to her artistic discovery of significance in the most ordinary circumstances and everyday settings in this beautiful country.

This is her second exhibition in Viet Nam. Last year, she had organised Cargo, an exhibition aimed at promoting the dynamic and modern features of HCM City.

This exhibition, part of the Italian Year in Viet Nam programme, has been organised by the Embassy of Italy in Viet Nam and will run till October 9 at Casa Italia, 18 Le Phung Hieu Street, Ha Noi. —VNS