An exhibition featuring diverse Oriental and African patterns on cloth fabrics by Finnish artist Maritta Nurmi is taking place at the Art Vietnam Gallery, No 7 Nguyen Khac Nhu, Hanoi.
Nurmi draws different patterns and sends them to India to be printed upon fabrics, from which she makes clothes in her own style.
She has held 14 exhibitions in Vietnam, Thailand, Finland and the US.
“Nurmi is one of the pioneers in introducing an exhibition mixed between fashion and art," commented art director Suzanne Lecht of the Art Vietnam Gallery. "She discovers all materials and shapes, bringing everyday details into a higher level."
Last year, she went to Africa and was amazed by colorful clothes Beninese women wore. Back to Vietnam, she tried to represent their patterns and colors à la her designs.
“Colors, how beautiful and attractive they are,” Maritta, who has lived in Hanoi for the past 13 years, said in Vietnamese.
A late starter, Nurmi graduated from the Turku Academy of Art when she was 40 years old after working in the chemistry industry in Finland for 10 years.
She is now living in Vietnam with her brother.
“Influenced by modern arts, her works still have oriental spirits and femininity. Her bending all laws and creativity is something young Vietnamese should learn,” said Pham Trung, chair of the modern art faculty at the Vietnam University of Art.
Her exhibition opens until January 7 next year.
