HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Ho Chi MinhCity Fine Arts Association for years has organised numerous programmes andexhibitions to help young artists from the city and southern provinces todevelop their skills and career.

The association’s most notable programme isthe Biennale Art Exhibition for Young Artists, first held in 2009. Theevent discovers new faces Vietnam’s fine arts, and introduces their work to thepublic.

The association has opened a call for thisyear’s event themed “The New Spirit”, targeting amateur and professionalartists aged 18-45. Submissions include paintings, sculptures,installation works, and graphic works.

The works will be selected by an arts councilcomposed of the country’s well-known artists who are members of theassociation, the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the HCM City University ofFine Arts.

The selected works will be displayed at anexhibition at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum later next month.

During the 2017 Biennale Art Exhibition for YoungArtists, 145 artworks by 107 Vietnamese artists from 15 cities andprovinces, such as HCM City, Hanoi, Binh Duong and Can Tho, were on display.All of the works reflected contemporary issues and Vietnamese landscapes andpeople.

The organisers awarded the first prize for aninstallation Nhung Doi Mat Phu Sa (Creatures in the MekongRiver) to Nguyen Phuong Quyen, Tran Thi Suong and Nguyen Ngoc Giang Thanh,students at Hoa Sen University.

The work consisted of several eyes madeof water hyacinth and yellow lights depicting the eyes of creatures in theMekong River, seeking ways to return to nature. The group used tai tu musicin their work to make it stand out.

Quyen said: “Many young artists find itdifficult to exhibit their work. We need help from the association and localauthorities to popularise our art and our thoughts about life.”

Nguyen Trung Tin, head of the event’s art council, said the programme was achance for young artists to showcase their abilities and talent. "We haveseen their maturity and skills through these events,” he said.

The association holds field trips in differentparts of the country and art camps annually to encourage young artists todiscover new places and find inspiration for new work.

Last year, the association organised a sculpturesymposium in the city, attracting 20 members and three non-members from theSouth. Half of them were young artists.

Twenty-nine works were introduced after thethree-month symposium, featuring new topics and materials.

Tran Viet Ha, who graduated from the city’s FineArts University two years ago, showcased his sculpture called Pho Day (Cityof Wire). He spent a few months making his work, featuring bunches of steelwire to reflect the busy life of a modern city.

Pho Day brought Ha the prize for best work at the association’s annualmajor exhibition to celebrate National Day, which opened at the city’s FineArts Museum last August.

Ha said that field trips and art camps werenecessary for artists “to change their feelings and seek new topics to producemore quality work”.

“They are where young artists like me work with and learn from experiencedartists such as Uyen Huy, Nguyen Trung Tin, Ca Le Thang, Le Xuan Chieu, Siu Quy,and Bui Hai Son.”

“Thanks to the association, we haveopportunities to create quality work and showcase them to the public,” headded.

Uyen Huy, chairman of the association, saidapart from major programmes, the association has organised dozens of smallexhibitions every year at its headquarters on Pasteur Street in District 3. Theexhibitions showcase art works by members of its clubs.

Art exchange and joint exhibitions with localart clubs and others from France, Thailand, South Korea and Japan have alsobeen held at the association.

The events offered opportunities for youngartists to learn from each other as well as from local and foreign experiencedartists.

Huy said: “The meetings with veteran members,field trips and exhibitions, and the sincere comments young artists received ontheir works, are extremely valuable and help them grow as professionalartists.”-VNS/VNA