Vietnamese calligraphy exhibition featuring works from Buddhist monks from HCMC and Central Highlands provinces closed on January 4 at the Dalat Flower Festival 2010.

The show with more than 200 thu phap (calligraphy pieces) on paper, stone, canvas and bamboo at Quan The Am Pagoda near Xuan Huong Lake opened on January 2 as a part of the festival.

The exhibition, Sac Mau Hoa But (The Colour of Flowers and Brushes) displayed pieces by 15 Buddhist monks from HCM City and Central Highlands provinces and five other artists who are falling in love with the art.

Many of the artists are from a calligraphy group in HCMC’s Tan Binh District. The show was unique as it presented pieces of calligraphy on stone using oil paints instead of the traditional Chinese ink.

Thich Quang Man, of Quan The Am Pagoda said it was difficult and time consuming to do calligraphy with oils on stone, sometimes taking a full day for one piece.

The group spent three months to prepare the artworks after being invited by the flower festival’s organising board. A sculpture of the late poet Bui Giang, BodhiTsattva and Gautama Buddha are also displayed in the pagoda.

Man said they had expected to sell more than half of the work. A similar exhibition had been held at the pagoda in April and July last year, the art-loving monks had an exhibition at a pagoda in Dak Nong Province.

He said he was happy to see large interest in the calligraphy with 20 potential buyers inquiring about one piece. He added that through the art of painting words the monks could introduce the beauty of the Vietnamese alphabet and Buddhist philosophy to Vietnamese and foreign tourists.

The centerpiece of the show is a giant prayer book, an initiative of the pagoda’s Vulnerable Thich Tinh Tue and Thich Quang Man, which is awaiting Vietnam Record Book recognition.

The 103-page book features 100 excerpts of sacred text, written in calligraphy by Buddhist monks. The 53-kg book, which is 90cm by 60cm, took three months to make at Hoa Khai Pagoda in Dak Nong Province.