{"id":7169,"date":"2021-05-19T18:15:14","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T10:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=7169"},"modified":"2022-03-15T12:06:02","modified_gmt":"2022-03-15T04:06:02","slug":"artist-murals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/artist-murals\/","title":{"rendered":"Artist Adorns Building With Murals In 1 Week, Plans Grander Project In The Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artist draws murals of Hanoi\u2019s West Lake area<\/h2>\n
\n

The West Lake area is a popular hangout spot of Hanoians, offering plenty of fresh air, stunning sunset views, and countless F&B and entertainment outlets to explore.<\/p>\n

Now, an artist has attempted to pay tribute to all that by putting them on murals <\/strong>covering an entire alley section in the area.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how he managed to capture the essence of the West Lake area, and of Hanoi as a whole, in jaw-dropping details, and how he plans to outdo himself in the future after this project is replaced.<\/p>\n

\n

The murals depicted signature scenes around the West Lake<\/h3>\n
\n

\"artist
\nImage credit: L\u00ea Long<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The murals were courtesy of Hanoi artist L\u00ea Long<\/a>, a veteran who\u2019s been doing graffiti and wall paintings for 16 years.<\/p>\n

\"artist
\nImage credit: L\u00ea Long<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Covering a several-meter-long wall, they depicted signature West Lake scenes that all Hanoi citizens know and love. One could spot here drawings of West Lake ice cream \u2013 products from a 70-year-old ice cream joint that generations of Hanoians have grown up with, or ice tea \u2013 which locals love sipping on while enjoying breezes from the lake.<\/p>\n

\"artist
\nImage credit: L\u00ea Long<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, at another section of the wall are portrayals of notable landmarks and activities around the lake area. There\u2019s the tower of the ancient Tr\u1ea5n Qu\u1ed1c Pagoda, and then there\u2019s a man doing kayak, a popular pastime on the West Lake.<\/p>\n

More impressively, the artist single-handedly completed the project in just a week\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

\"artist
\nImage credit: L\u00ea Long<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Speaking to The Smart Local Vietnam<\/em> on his motivations for the project, Long shared that he had harbored the idea for a long time. \u201cThese experiences are all too familiar, but probably few have captured them in anything more than pictures. As such, I want to pay tribute to them in the form of Graffiti \u2013 a casual art that anyone can enjoy\u201d, he shared.<\/p>\n

The murals were located at the entrance to Alley 38, Lane 5 T\u1eeb Hoa Street. For years, the alley has been a photo hotspot that attracts shutter-happy folks, many of whom also found Long\u2019s works fascinating. Residents of the area loved it too.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.<\/p>\n

\n

His murals were painted over, but he plans to make a stronger comeback<\/h3>\n
\n

\"artist
\nImage credit: L\u00ea Long<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

From what Long told us, the murals were finished on 26th March and existed for a month. By the end of April, however, it was inexplicably painted over by the wall\u2019s owners. Long himself only learned of that just a few days ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came as quite a shock to me, to see my prized work removed just like that. But it\u2019s their wall and their decision, so I didn\u2019t want to prod too much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, the passionate artist only sees this as a minor setback. He plans to make another West Lake project that\u2019s \u201cgrander, with more breakthroughs\u201d in the future.<\/p>\n

As of this moment, he hasn\u2019t decided on a specific timeframe for the said project yet, as it\u2019d require location scouting, budget planning, and many other preparations.<\/p>\n

Still, we, for one, are looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

\n

Passionate artist pays tribute to signature Hanoi West Lake experiences with murals<\/h3>\n
\n

With millennia\u2019s worth of history, Hanoi is a major cultural center of Vietnam. And as Hanoians born and raised ourselves, we\u2019ve got to say, it\u2019s always nice to see passionate artists coming up with creative ways to appreciate her archaic beauty.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in such projects, don\u2019t forget to follow L\u00ea Long\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> to drop the man some kudos and keep yourselves updated on what he\u2019s up to.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n