Photographer Huu Bao: Keeping Hanoi’s memories alive

Thanh Loan - Nguyen Tung 14:22, 2017/08/28

Photographer Huu Ban has been awarded the Bui Xuan Phai award – For the love of Hanoi 2017. He has told many stories of Hanoi through photos.

Photographer Huu Bao (left) received the award "Bui Xuan Phai - For the love of Hanoi 2017".

Talking about Hanoi, people often think about the elegant beauty with the unique combination of ancient and modern architecture. However, for Huu Bao, Hanoi is so ordinary, so for him it is his passion to find those hidden beauties of the city, which are ignored and taken for granted by Hanoians themselves.

For a man who spends his whole life pursuing photograph like Huu Bao, his love for Hanoi is strong yet sentimental, which includes both dissatisfaction and tolerance. With this spirit, his lens often captures a shot full of emotion, for which he never considers himself an outsider. Huu Bao said: ”I never stand outside to take the picture, but to put my soul into the work. I take picture just like breathing. Whenever I go, I always bring along my camera, as my pictures are not follow a certain theme, but to capture whatever I like, may it be a mossy wall, as long as it contains my feeling, my love and a portrait.”

An angle of Hang Dao Street - Picture of Huu Bao.

Hang Dao is one of the central streets of the old Hanoi. In the house number 38 in Hang Dao street, there lies an ancient temple named Dong Lac. In this place there is a small exhibition from a Hanoian with stories behind, which many may not know about. Pictures of Huu Bao tell the story of the old days but also of the present. By looking at these artworks, one must be meticulous to look at every small details, as behind them are the stories of lives working and living in this city.

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu – a close friend of Huu Bao said:”Looking at his picture, we can see ourselves in it. They can be anonymous, but also a part of history”.

Huu Bao was born and grown up in Hang Dao street. His family was well known for silk business in Hanoi in the past century. At present, his own family still lives on the house passed by his grandfather. His wife is the people’s artist Nhu Quynh. The Old Quarter is where they were born, grown up and married for over 30 years. As such, it is understandable that photographic book such as Lovely Hanoi – which brought him the award “Bui Xuan Phai – For the love of Hanoi”.

There is an introduction in the exhibition of photographer Huu Bao: “Hanoi in Huu Bao’s pictures are sincere fragmented of love. This is the street. This is a person. This is winter. This is laborer. This is the life behind the small window of the Old Quarter. This is an old architecture. This is religion. Behind these fragmented of love are you and me. We love this city even with judgment or dissatisfaction. But these angry feeling are to love Hanoi more – just live the love for our parent’s home”.

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