Pavlos Samios, a famous artist who paints in a style akin to contemporay Greek painting, opened an exhibition in Hanoi on March 25 as part of a number of activities celebrating Greek National Day as well as in reponse to Vietnam’s Year of Cultural Diplomacy.

His 20 paintings at the “Paris-Athens” exhibition feature the two cities where the artist was born and grew up.

Samios arrived in Hanoi on March 24 and later that day toured the city’s streets by bicycle. He said that daily life in Hanoi reminds him of his chidlhood running about the ancient streets of Athens and has inspired him to stay in Hanoi for one or two months to go on painting.

Greece’s National Day will be celebrated at the French Cultural Centre (L’Espace) in central Hanoi on the evening of March 25 with many interesting activities, including Vietnamese artists performing Greek folk songs to the accompaniment of traditional Vietnamese music instruments.