Dawn of the Delta | Bình Minh Châu Thổ | Artist Hồng Quân

7th Solo Exhibition

WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS BY ARTIST HỒNG QUÂN

“Dawn of the Delta”

The exhibition presents nearly 70 selected watercolor works, curated by artist Phan Trọng Văn and journalist Cường Quách, chosen from over 200 paintings created by Hồng Quân since 2019. A devoted practitioner of the pure, delicate yet profound language of traditional watercolor, Hồng Quân continues to affirm his artistic identity through his distinct approach to composition, color palette, and emotional expression in this 7th solo exhibition.

Rather than depicting the world in a literal, realistic way, his paintings delve into atmospheres of space and emotion—inner silences, blurred memories, or the fragile transitions of time.

His compositions are often open, balanced, and meticulously structured, allowing room for breath and contemplation. Hồng Quân’s watercolor technique favors thin washes and natural gradients, with just enough accents to retain the transparency of water: the ochre-brown tones of the delta’s silt, the diffuse shadows of boat prows, or the fragile silhouettes of bamboo bridges—always restrained yet evocative.

The dominant palette is one of warm, muted tones: earthy reds, smoky grays, moss greens, burnt yellows, with the untouched white of paper serving as subtle highlights. Together, they evoke a meditative and introspective sensibility, contrasting with the vivid displays often associated with contemporary watercolor. The choice of paper is equally deliberate—traditional textured paper, Arches cold-press or rough, heavy-weight, with deep absorbency to preserve natural flows and stains.

The atmosphere of his works could be described as “suspended yet suggestive.” They are not straightforward narratives, but rather lyrical chants or visual harmonies—inviting viewers to slow down, listen, and engage with their own inner responses. The artist does not expect full comprehension of his works, only that each viewer might resonate with a fragment—intimate, quiet, and deeply personal.