The artists have taken their immediate surroundings as their subject matter to reflect their own personal reality. One of the works on display, Lightning by Tetsuya Nakamura, is a machine-like sculpture with the appearance of a racing vehicle set on an elevated track.

"The work has a strikingly beautiful finish that might be expected of an industrial product but it is entirely applied by hand," said Takeji Yoshikawa, director of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Another arresting work is Japanese Little Kitchen by Tabaimo, the youngest artists at the exhibition. She is known for her use of hand-drawn animated films in architectural installations.

Japanese Little Kitchen is basically a reproduction of the original work that includes a three-panel screen. Tabaimo constructs these virtual spaces by herself and sets up multiple screens in them for the projection of her films.

Both works have a rich visual impact and reveal a strong interest in the process of making things, according to Tran Khanh Chuong, chairman of the Vietnam Fine Arts' Association.

There has been a worldwide tendency for artists to take a greater interest in everyday life and to focus on the expression of very personal perceptions and feelings. Japanese artists use high technology to create their works, Chuong said.

Due to major shifts in the world economy, many artists have turned away from larger issues to concentrate on smaller and more intimate areas of life, in essence, re-examining the ground under their own feet.

"We hope this exhibition will allow viewers to experience the freshness and vitality of current Japanese art and at the same time provide an opportunity for renewed thinking and debate about the fundamental appeal and meaning of art," Yoshikawa said.

After opening in Hanoi, the exhibition will move to the Japan Foundation in the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hue and the Labour Culture Palace in HCMC.

The exhibition will run until May 24 at 29 Hang Bai Street.