Landscapes under brush strokes of veteran artist

A series of 36 paintings on giay do (poonah paper) featuring the beauty of the landscape in Ha Long and Sapa in northern Vietnam is now on display at the Republic of Korea Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

Dang Tin Tuong is primarily known as a painter of large lacquer engravings of landscapes and ancient architecture on wood board but for the last 10 years, an eye disease has forced him to move to oil and poonah paper paintings.

“His paintings on poonah paper are typically oriental,” said fine arts critic Nguyen Quan.

Dang Tin Tuong has drawn many images of clouds, mountains, fields of grass and cheerful flowers that illustrate his feelings towards nature.

'Tuong's artwork depicts the beauty of nature and the Vietnamese people. The work is filled with the soul of an artist with a thirst for art and beauty who always said that drawing was his biggest happiness in life,' said Keum Gi-hyung, director of the Korean Culture centre.

Born in 1945 in the northern province of Hai Duong, Dang Tin Tuong graduated from the Viet Nam College of Fine Arts. He has had his work exhibited in many domestic and international exhibitions including the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1980, 1995 and 2000, the Hawaii East-West Centre in the US, and the Kochi Fine Arts Museum in Japan exhibition of 50 years of modern Vietnamese painting.

The exhibition will run until March 31 at 49 Nguyen Du Street, Hanoi.

Exhibition shows young artists’ energy

An exhibition of works by members of young artists clubs entitled ‘Energy’ opened this evening at the Exhibition House, No. 16 Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi.

On display are 39 works in a variety of materials and media including oil, silk, and lacquer paintings, lithographs, and sculpture as well as performance art and installations. 42 artists are represented from six art clubs in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, and Dak Lak provinces, plus Hue and Ho Chi Minh Cities.

Despite diverse styles and ideas, all the artists highlight the the inner energy and vitality of youth which fuels, nurtures and motivates their creativity.

Some pieces on show present urgent contemporary issues such as climate change in Tran Huu Nhat’s charcoal painting ‘Im Lang’ (The Quiet) and the oil on canvas, ‘Gio Cao Diem’ (Rush Hour), by Nguyen Huy Loc, and environmental pollution in ‘Tieng Goi’ (The Call) by Le Nguyen Manh.

The young artists also trace the traditional values as in ‘Cam Xuc Ve Co Vat Co Do’ (Feelings about Antiquities and the Ancient Capital) by Ku Kao Khai; ‘Phia Sau’ (From Behind) by Nguyen Thanh Son, and ‘Tinh Yeu’ (Love) by Le Thi Minh Tam.

Other painters are interested in the beauty of nature and daily life which are featured in the lacquer painting ‘Gia Tri Tiem An Cua Tu Nhien’ (The Potential Value of Nature), by Bui Trong Du; the monoprint ‘Bon Mua’ (Four Seasons), by Vu Bach Lien; and ‘Thu Hoach Ngo’ (Corn Harvest), a silk painting by Ha Thi Hong Ngan.

Though realism is the favoured style in the exhibition, a number of artists are pursuing abstraction which allows them to express their ideas more freely.

This is the first time artists from the north, central and south of Vietnam have had the chance to exhibit their artwork together despite the geographical distance between them.

The exhibition, co-organised by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the Vietnam – Danish Cultural Development and Exchange Fund, will run through April 8.

Ukrainian folk songs resound in Hanoi

Six-member Ukrainian art troupe Grygorii Veryovka gave a performance entitled ‘Love from Ukraine’ at the Au Co Art Centre in Hanoi last night as an event to welcome Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich who is currently visiting Vietnam.

The artists featured folk songs and dances praising the beauty of Ukraine and its people as well as traditional performances from a variey of the country’s local festivals.

The Ukraine Grygorii Veryovka National Academic Folk Choir was set up in 1943 and combines Ukrainian traditional music and dances with contemporary styles and professional techniques. The troupe has been introducing the unique Ukrainian styles of dance and music to audiences all over the world.

Renowned Hanoi musician to perform in HCMC

Songwriter Phu Quang, well known throughout the country for his ballads about Hanoi, will perform live in Ho Chi Minh City next month to express his gratitude to southern audiences after a recent show in Hanoi.

The show, titled The Sea, Nostalgia and You will feature 25 Phu Quang classics, which will be performed by local singers together with Quang’s own daughter and son in law, pianist Trinh Huong and violist Bui Cong.

Of these, Phu Quang’s greatest hit, Love of the Ocean, will be accompanied with a ballet dance.

Born in Hanoi, 62-year-old Phu Quang also writes instrumental music and movie soundtracks.

The show will take place at 8p.m. on April 17 at Hoa Binh Theater, 3/2 Road.

Tickets will be available at the theater next month.

EU mission visits Vietnam’s ancient wall

An EU delegation led by Sean Doyle, Head of the European Commission to Vietnam, yesterday visited Truong Luy, an ancient wall complex located in the central provinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh.

Doyle, who was briefed about the latest archeological researches on Truong Luy, said he was very impressed, adding the EU would help Vietnam introduce it to the world.

Built from the 17th to 19th century, Truong Luy is 130 km long, 4 m high and 2.5 m wide.

It runs from Tra Bong District in Quang Ngai Province along the eastern side of the Truong Son Mountain Range to An Lao District in Binh Dinh Province and is probably the longest ancient wall in Southeast Asia.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently recognized Truong Luy as a national historical and cultural heritage and will soon hold a recognition ceremony.

Phu Yen inaugurates Vung Ro relic site

The Phu Yen province People’s Committee on March 26 inaugurated a historical site, which was once an important port for shipping weapons from the North to the South during the war against the US.

The 12.5 billion VND work, Vung Ro unnumbered ship, covers an area of one hectare in Hoa Xuan Nam commune, Dong Hoa district.

From November 1964 to February 1965, Vung Ro, an isolated bay on the rocky coast, received four unnumbered ships shipping weapons and medicines from the North to the South.

However, on February 16,1965, Vung Ro entered the history books because of a particular incident. A US army officer flying his helicopter along the coast of South-central Vietnam spotted a large, camouflaged vessel perpendicular to the shore. Cargo was being unloaded and stacked on the beach. To keep the cache a secret, the North Army capsized and sank the ship.

Exhibition of Ukrainian miniature artworks opens

An exhibition of Ukrainian miniature artworks and gold jewelries kicked off in Hanoi on March 24.

The three-day event is being jointly organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ukrainian Ministry of Culture.

On display were 20 miniature hand-made masterpieces made by Nicolai Syadristy whose many works have been displayed at museums all over the world.

The event also showcased 12 works of gold jewelries made by holography experts from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, offering the public a chance to discover Ukrainian high technologies and historical values.

Khanh Chi tops student beauty pageant

21-year-old Le Khanh Chi – young sister of Vietnamese football star Le Cong Vinh – convincingly beat 15 other contestants to win the student beauty pageant’s much-coveted crown at the finale at Hanoi University of Culture on March 24.

The first and second runners up were Le Thi Lan and Ngo Hang Nga, respectively.

At the final round’s Q&A session, Khanh Chi won the hearts and the minds of the judges and audience for her beauty, talent, and charm.

When asked about her opinions on ao dai (Vietnamese traditional costume), she answered confidently: “If Kimono is a symbol of Japan and Cheongsam is of China, ao dai is the embodiment of Vietnamese women’s beauty and charm. Today, ao dai travels with Vietnamese women everywhere, from Paris, London to remote corners of the globe.”

“The further they [Vietnamese overseas] live from home, the more homesick they feel when they see ao dai. Without question, I’m tremendously proud to be seen in a ao dai,” she added.

Also at the finale, contestants and audience joined hands to raise funds for Japanese victims struck by the recent earthquakes and tsunami.

The pageant is to mark the 80th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh Youth Communist Union and the 52th of Hanoi University of Culture, aiming to create a healthy playground for students.

The jury members included People’s Artist Le Khanh, designer Duc Hung, the second best of Miss Vietnam 1992 Nguyen Minh Phuong, and the university’s representatives.

Exhibition on the life of General Vo Nguyen Giap

An exhibition of photographs on 101 Moments with General Vo Nguyen Giap opened at the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, attracting thousands of people including military officers, students and visitors.  

The exhibition features a selection of photographs by journalist Tran Tuan. This exhibition of 101 Moments with General Vo Nguyen Giap was displayed for the first time at 45 Trang Tien in Hanoi on the occasion of his 101st birthday and marked the 66th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese People’s Army.

Journalist Tran Tuan spent more than two decades of his professional life photographing General Vo Nguyen Giap, the architect of Viet Nam's military victory over the French and the Americans.

Tuan’s sensitive portrayal of General Vo Nguyen Giap creates deep emotions for viewers. The exhibition displays thousands of black and white as well as colour photographs of Giap, portraying this great national hero who was well known not only for his genius on the battlefield, but  also for his kindness and generosity.

Tuan confessed that he was lucky to have the opportunity to have been in such close proximity to the general for 30 years. He accompanied General Vo Nguyen Giap on many trips within the country and abroad. Tuan felt truly blessed to have photographed the man loved and respected by all Vietnamese people. 

After the exhibition, journalist Tuan plans to hold other exhibitions in provinces nationwide as well as in Cambodia and Laos. The final exhibition is expected to be in General Giap’s homeland – Quang Binh Province.