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| Quotidian: Ha Noi rain cropped by Sandy Infield. — VNS Photo |
British painter depicts joys of HN traffic in Hilton exhibition
HA NOI — Blending ancient traditions and bustling modernity, one of Ha Noi’s artisan expats has painted scenes of the capital city that capture the essence of the city’s streets.
British artist Sandy Infield has used her experience travelling around Ha Noi to inspire her art works, now on display at the Hanoi Hilton Opera.
The exhibition, titled "Transported," is comprised of 20 oil paintings and 28 monotype plate impressions that reflect the artist’s feelings for her adopted country.
All foreigners visiting Viet Nam must face the unpredictable traffic situation and may find their first few days filled with terror at the prospect of crossing the road. Soon, however, many come to appreciate and even love the liveliness and exuberance of the country’s street life.
"I come from a place where the streets and public life are governed by rules and order, sometimes to an excruciating degree. Here in Ha Noi there is incredible freedom. In the beginning, it was intimidating, especially trying to cross a city street for the first time. But I came to understand that rather than being chaos it was actually choreographed and had its own order," said Infield.
"I wanted to capture that alchemy - the energy, the madness but also the humour - of each near miss, which perhaps was not that near at all," she said.
Infield combines quintessential images of old Viet Nam - flower sellers and schoolgirls in bright ao dai - with the new Viet Nam of young businessmen on motorbikes, as they come together in a riot of colour on Ha Noi’s frenetic avenues.
Her paintings capture the modern ballet of pushcart sellers weaving in and out of downtown traffic. She portrays an old city infused with tradition, where images of motorbikes blur with fresh flowers, and where kumquat trees strapped to the backs of bicycles come alive in the Tet rains. While her art seems fragile at times, it is refreshingly unsentimental.
"These images are enduring to me, and they tell the story of modern Ha Noi, just as the cafe scenes of the French impressionists told of Parisian society. My hope is to preserve some of these moments because Ha Noi is changing quickly, and I fear that the old traditions will soon be gone," said Infield.
Infield has created art for more than 20 years. She was trained at the prestigious Slade School in London and as a Boise scholar in Rome. Her work has appeared in private shows and group exhibitions across Europe.
She lives with her husband, a wildlife conservationist, and their two children in Ha Noi. In addition to her paintings of city life, Sandy has captured images of the countryside and mountainous regions.
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