2 Nguyen Thanh Binh was born in 1954

2 Nguyen Thanh Binh was born in 1954 in Hanoi, and is now based in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). He graduated from the Hanoi College of Fine Art in 1972, and went on to specialize in oil painting at the Gia Dinh National College of Fine Art in Ho Chi Minh City. Thanh Binh is well known for his works depicting female figures wearing the white Ao Dai dress. He also draws his inspiration from classical music and his daughter, a ballerina. He says: “Fine Art is not about philosophy or literature, but about music”. On the other, a big source of inspiration is Japanese poetry. As a Haiku poem where a few lines can carry a lot of meaning, his paintings unveil meaningful images executed in simple, but poignant brush strokes. “A Haiku is a very small poem containing only three lines, but it’s meaning is enormous. Paintings can also convey an immense significance with few colours and details. The objects may be condensed, but the entire meaning is large and significant”, says the artist. He continues: “I do not try to follow any trends - I am just searching for beauty as I see it, a beauty for everyone”. His paintings are poetic and perhaps romantic, and at the same time carefully observed and boldly executed.

Nguyen Thanh Binh (1954)

The conical hats girls wears are “Non Bai Tho” (hat of poem), a traditional hat of Vietnamese girls- hat made of first quality latania leaves

Young florist

Flowers (130 x 300) There may be nothing more iconically Vietnamese than the conical hat. Although infinitely practical, being both sunshade and waterproof, they are also associated with legends and love stories. The poem hats, typical of Hue, have poems or pictures inserted between the layers so that when they are held up to the sun you can read the shadows

Nguyen Thanh Binh (1954)

Learning

The red Ao Dai The clothes girls wear is “Ao Dai” a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly worn by women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over pants

Young girls in red

Schoolgirls

The graduation

Cheerleaders

Schoolgirls with teacher

Nguyen Thanh Binh has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Vietnam, as well as in group exhibitions in France (1991, Paris), Hong Kong (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003), Singapore (1996, 2000), Japan (1996), South Korea, Great Britain (1998, London), USA (1998, 1999, 2001), Australia (1999), and Thailand (2004)

Choir

Ao dai

Lost in prayer

Ao dai

Ao dai

Text and pictures: Internet Copyright: All the images belong to their authors Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu Sound: Nhac Si Nguyen Anh 9 ( Piano-Khong Loi ) Tuyen Chon By Khuong La 2015 https: //plus. google. com/+Sanda. Michaela