Japanese artist inspired by Vietnam’s landscapes

Japanese artist Toba Mika's fifth exhibition in Vietnam includes 31 works that reflect her interest in the country since her first visit in 1994.

In Canh Vat Trong Hoai Niem (Scenery in Memory), Mika uses silk and Katazome, a traditional Japanese dye technique using resist paste applied through a stencil to dye original patterns onto cloth and Japanese paper.

The works at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum feature natural landscapes in different regions of Vietnam, including HCM City, Hanoi and Da Nang, and the daily lives of the people.

Low-roofed houses along the Saigon River or a corner of a city street with tangled power cables both reflect the changes over time of the city.

Well-known destinations like Ho Guom Lake in Hanoi and My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam are also featured.

Mika proudly calls the works "her own cultural heritage."

Born in Aichi Prefecture, Mika completed her post-graduate degree at the Kyoto City University of Arts.

She has received the Medal for Vietnamese Fine Arts Career given by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for her large paintings of Vietnam, as well as several fine arts prizes in Japan.

She teaches at Kyoto Seika University.

Mika's exhibition is one of several activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

It ends on December 15 at 97A Pho Duc Chinh Street in District 1.