Dinh Thi Tham Poong blends in with nature

Poong captured public attention since she first appeared at a national painting contest in 1990. She paints as if her feeling is poured o­nto the paper, depicting the nature as well as the daily activities surrounding her.

Life in her painting is always mystical, poetic with lots of linkages to nature. Her paintings are filled with greenness and flowers, which are filled with liveliness in each moves. Viewers are always surprised with her treatment of nature.

Poong likes poonah paper – the type of paper which requires prudent strokes by the painter. It’s a challenge for her, but Poong finds it inspiring. She often simplifies and symbolises her character and blends them in nature. She likes soft colour, and her pictures are always full of love.

Suzanne Lecht, an American art critic, has this to say about Poong’s art works: “When people are blended in the world of flowers, then the people’s world is turned into the spiritual world. The people seem to be overwhelmed by their feelings and together they praise love.

Poong says her name is taken from that of a cave in Lai Chau northern province, where she was born. The wild nature of the north western mountainous region nurtures her childhood, and follows her when she came to Hanoi to study fine arts. It is reflected in her paintings, and attracts viewers, even foreign viewers.

Now, Poong lives in a small house in the suburbs of Hanoi, with her 5 year old son. Although living in the city for quite a while, her love for nature never fades.