HCM City exhibits street kids’ art

(26-09-2007)

Street roots: Phuong Linh’s oil painting Rung Tram is one of many pieces on display in a special exhibition HCM City.

HCM CITY— A special exhibit of paintings of nature and scenes of daily life by street kids and children with physical disabilities is now on display in HCM City.

The exhibit at the Hotel Equatorial includes work by 60 children who attend schools for disadvantaged children, including Anh Minh, Hy Vong 1, Gia Dinh and the HCM City Youth Vocational Training Centre.

The paintings are executed in oil, watercolour, pastel and other media.

The highlight includes Rung Tram (Cajeput Forest), an oil painting by Phuong Linh, a student of a school for deaf children, Hy Vong 1, in District 1. More than 300 deaf children from the city and rural districts attend the school.

Linh’s work features a girl who is returning home from a forest while carrying firewood on her shoulder.

The 13-year-old skillfully uses green, blue, yellow and light brown to reflect the peace and beauty of trees, fish and water.

Other paintings portray serene moments of children at play or at home and school.

The works sell for US$30-40 each.

"Our event raises money for Linh and her colleagues, helping them continue their studies," said Nguyen Hoang Thinh Tri, who works as a teacher for Hy Vong 1 and is a member of the organising board. "The public’s support gives our kids hope."

Sponsored by Hotel Equatorial and the HCM City Fine Arts Association, the exhibit can be seen at 242 Tran Binh Trong Street, District 5 until October 20. —VNS