An exhibition on Hang Trong folk paintings is being held at Nam Huong communal house, Hang Trong street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi to bring young people and the community closer to the folk art in particular and values of cultural heritages in general which are in danger of falling into oblivion. 

The exhibition is a part of the project “From tradition to tradition” implemented by the Vietnam University of Fine Arts.

The exhibition is part of the project “From tradition to tradition” implemented by the Vietnam University of Fine Arts and will last until December 20.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition on October 30, Vice Chairman of the Hoan Kiem district People's Committee Nguyen Anh Quan said that the exhibition features Hang Trong folk paintings which have existed for 400 years, with two main lines of paintings namely worshiping paintings and Tet paintings. These lines of paintings are gradually falling into oblivion if no efforts for preservation and promotion are made, he emphasized. 

The project is the brainchild of Nguyen The Son, a lecturer at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, inspired by the newly restored Nam Huong communal house on Hang Trong street, the home of this school of folk paintings and it is also here that the paintings are fading away. Son hoped a younger generation of artists will continue to preserve and promote the history of this line of paintings.

The project is an opportunity for a group of students from the lacquer and silk majors of the Faculty of Painting, Vietnam University of Fine Arts, to interact and learn from the last artist of the line - artisan Le Dinh Nghien.

Within a month, the students participating in the project have the opportunity to draw practical experiences from interaction with the artist and propose creative options for the Hang Trong folk paintings. 

The long-term project “From tradition to tradition” will connect the cultural heritage of traditional Japanese woodcarvings with the traditional materials such as lacquer and silk in Vietnamese painting. The program is expected to take place in 2021.