An exhibition of Dong Ho woodcut painting, at the Mose Toidze Art House Museum in Tbilisi, will open on September 22 at 5 PM.
Trang Regner, an ethnologist from the Nam Dinh province in North Vietnam, will make a presentation about the Vietnamese folk art of Dong Ho woodcut painting, and will introduce Vietnamese handmade paper 'Dzo' and 'Giay Diep.' She will also give a workshop to produce Vietnamese natural colors together with her colleague.
"We have invited seven professional painters from different countries to paint on Vietnamese handmade papers with different materials and colors, including Vietnamese natural watercolors, oil paint and pastel- the choice is theirs!" said Regner.
"On September 23, there will be a free workshop for elderly people and children. We're giving a free workshop for people to learn more about Vietnamese and Asian art, as one of our activities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, so doing participating in the most beautiful moonlight of the year at this time in Vietnam and Asia," Regner said. "The tradition of Dzo and Giay Diep paper and Đông Hồ woodcut painting is fading away in Vietnam and we want to help revive them."
Dong Ho painting is considered a fine reflection of traditional aesthetic values and social tendencies, as well as human desires. Its traditional themes are signs of good luck, historical figures, folk allegories, popular stories and social comments. Elements of everyday life are integrated in Đông Hồ paintings to express the thoughts and wishes of the people.
The exhibition will open at the Mose Toidze Art House Museum of the Amirejibi family, where Vova Machavariani (the son in law of Toidze) also shares beautiful memories of him with respect to Vietnam of the 1960s.
Within the framework of the show, examples of Mose Toidze´s great art and even two Vietnamese hats - Non La, a portrait of Vladimir Matchavariani by Vietnamese painters, one part of a US Army helicopter shot down in southern Vietnam during time of American war and other memorabilia of Mose Toidze will also be on display.