A corner of the café space of the poet Bach Diep on Luong The Vinh street. Photo: B.D
The artworks may be those that the landlords own, but they could also be borrowed from the artists or close friends. Amongst those works, some are priced at only a few million dongs, but some may cost a fortune of up to several hundred million dongs.
Located on Nguyen Hue Street, the Hoang Hac café space is not only famous for its prime location, but also because the owner is a familiar figure in the Hue’s cultural research community - Nguyen Huu Chau Phan.
In addition to his endless passion for books, paintings are also one of the items that he has been spending a great deal of time to study and collect. Some works made him shout out happily when he managed to possess them. Here, some works belong to his friends but are lent to him to be hung in his own cafe space thanks to their love for him.
A painting on display at Hoang Hac café. Photo: N. MINH
Amongst them, it is worth mentioning the works that portray young women by the painter Dinh Cuong, works that depict the streets by the painter Tran Van Mang, or works that are pinned with daily life’s messages by the painter Pham Luc. On top of that, the space also showcases some abstract canvas by the painter Tran Huu Nhat...
All of them are kept in an air-conditioned space, at the spots that every guest can best admire when they set foot in. That is the way he wants to share his paintings with people who have similar interests but have not been exposed to many viewing opportunities.
Thanks to that, this space has drawn a lot of people to come, not only to enjoy a cup of coffee but also to indulge in an art space that this special gallery offers.
“The more I watch, the more I am fascinated by these paintings. If the owner were not generous but wanted to keep them for himself, surely we would not have the opportunity to admire such valuable paintings created by famous artists,” shared Nguyen Hoai Tam - a painting enthusiast who often visits this space.
There is a similar space, located on Luong The Vinh Street, Hue city. It is the Sonata’s cozy cafe space of a gentle owner and a poet - Bach Diep.
"I opened it to earn more income and satisfy my passion at the same time," Diep said about the reason for the birth of her own art space, which has been known for many years.
Most of the guests stopping at this space are patrons and painting enthusiasts. At their first step in, everyone will be amazed at dozens of paintings with luxurious and extremely impressive colors.
The paintings of various sizes and many authors are hung and decorated appropriately, making admirers more and more captivated as they look. Amongst these many works, several are of her own collection and most of them were brought here by the artists for sale.
The work of artist Nguyen Van Tuyen in the Sonata café space. Photo: Nhat Minh
Perhaps the most impressive catch here is the series of artworks by the "sampan dwellers" painter Nguyen Van Tuyen, who is famous for his subtle style of painting with the use of dreamy color shades. There, by a cup of coffee in the early morning or late afternoon, we will find a melodious Huong river and a fishing village with floating sampans that would recall a long-gone memory of Hue. Bewitched by these works, many regular customers of Diep have been locked in the obsession of hunting and possessing them.
“At first, I just came to drink coffee. But when I stepped in, I was startled when seeing a “miniature Hue" with gorgeous works. I used to live in the countryside when I was a child, so when looking at those pictures, bunches of memories stirs up mine," shared N. H. H. (Hue city).
Just like that, in his free time, H. heads to this space to enjoy coffee and indulge himself in the art. The more he looks at them, the more he remembers the old days. Finally, H. decided to acquire some artworks from the café space to warm up his home.
Staying away from the hustle and bustle of the city, these painting café spaces seem to be an endless source of delight for visitors who are painting enthusiasts. Admiring our favorite artworks by a cup of coffee is also a way to vibe up the morning or just to find a little relaxation and peace with family and friends. It is these spaces that have shape up a trait of beauty and a “classy hobby” that are typically Hue!
By Nhat Minh