Different strokes: Heavy Rain features street children caught in a rainstorm.

HA NOI (VNS)— The heart-felt experiences gained from working with Vietnamese street children have inspired Italian artist Anna Borghi to produce her first-ever exhibition of abstracts in Ha Noi. Entitled Heavy Rain, the exhibition is a collection of her latest series of works created in 2013.

Born in Italy in 1980, Borghi graduated in painting and cultural heritage at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, in Milan.

She came to Viet Nam in 2010 and met the inspirational children at Pho Cap School, a small establishment for street children in HCM City.

Since 2011, Borghi taught art at school and her approach is said to have stirred the creative juices of children through the observation and study of contemporary art masters and encouraging dialogue based on the kids' own perceptions and ideas.

This experience served as the catalyst for significant change in her life and the forming of a strong interaction between her artworks and the children's, Anna said.

All of the paintings are in mixed media on canvas with monochrome. The painting Heavy Rain, sized 80cm by 120cm, features street children caught in a rainstorm.

"The painting is of metaphoric significance. It is a contrast between the innocent children and the darkness of the upcoming storm," she said at the exhibition opening on Monday.

"All the paintings were inspired by fresh emotion and affection for the children from the Pho Cap School. I've learnt many things when I teach at this school and I think this is possible for every teacher."

The artist combines an ancient tempera medium with popular canvas and uses two natural colours for the paintings, according to Vietnamese artist Ta Thanh Tam, an exhibition visitor.

The exhibition also features paintings entitled Home, Thanks God, Up in the Air and Untitled plus three small paintings of the school's children.

"In all the paintings I want to depict daily life at Pho Cap School," the artist added.

Heavy Rain is Borghi's first exhibition in Viet Nam and the first painting exhibition held at Casa Italia (Italy House), which opened in April. It is organised by the Italian embassy under the framework of the Italy-Viet Nam 2013 programme. The exhibition will run until July 14 at, 18 Le Phung Hieu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS