“Xẩm Chợ” Exhibition – A Kinh Bac market of memories through the paintings of artist Do Bang

The solo exhibition “Xẩm Chợ” by artist Do Bang, described as “an emotionally rich artistic slice of Kinh Bac culture”, is being held from June 24 to July 2, 2025, at the Fine Art Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi. Through his distinctive painterly language, Do Bang invites viewers to return to the images of rural villages, the voices of Xam street singers and the echoing melodies of Quan Ho folk songs

“Xẩm Chợ” exhibition by artist Do Bang. Photo: Organizing Committee.

Artist Do Bang – Preserving folk soul through painting

Do Bang is a painter and art critic born in Bac Ninh, a region where culture is not an abstract concept but a part of daily life: Heard in ferry calls, seen on village pagoda roofs, and felt in the four-panel dresses worn by mothers… It is no surprise that memory has become the core material in his artistic journey. He graduated from the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts and later served as a lecturer there. He is also a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the Bac Ninh Literature and Arts Association.

Artist and art critic Do Bang

Over more than three decades of artistic creation, Do Bang has consistently “dialogued” with cultural memory – Respecting the past while renewing it through the visual language of contemporary art. His works are not dramatic outbursts of emotion but rather a quiet, steady flow, like the distant toll of a temple bell. His paintings have the power to evoke life in what seems to have faded, portraying the heart of traditional Vietnamese life through a wide range of techniques and materials: oil, acrylic, watercolor, Do paper, cardboard, canvas and raw fabric.

“Trung Thu” by artist Do Bang

“Xẩm Chợ” Exhibition – Where paintings echo the songs of the past

This solo exhibition centers on the artist’s greatest source of inspirationL Kinh Bac culture, with imagery of rural life, festivals, Quan Ho folk music, traditional beliefs and the rustic sounds of a countryside slowly fading away.

“Xẩm Chợ” continues Do Bang’s longstanding exploration of national identity through art stands as a testament to the enduring vitality of folk culture in the modern era. In a fast-paced world, the exhibition offers a space to slow down, to listen to the songs of memory and to immerse oneself in the beauty of Vietnamese tradition.

The exhibition features 24 works spanning key stages in his artistic practice:

– Early period – Lyrical and expressive: “Lập xuân”, Rằm tháng Bảy”, “Buổi sáng mùa hè”, “Lễ cầu siêu”, “Cánh diều tuổi thơ”, “Tiếng sáo mùa hạ”;

– Later – Folk life and daily scenes: “Xẩm chợ”, “Điệu khèn mùa xuân”, “Xuống chợ”, “Trung thu”, “Thung lũng bình yên”.

The exhibition is open daily from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, from June 24 to July 2, 2025, at the Fine Arts Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi.

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