On June 18, Nhan Dan Newspaper opened an Illustration Exhibition featuring 23 contributing artists from northern and southern Vietnam. The exhibition introduces around 90 illustrations created for short stories, poetry and essays.

A highlight of the event is more than 60 works described as "two-in-one" creations. These pieces function both as illustrations accompanying publications from Nhan Dan Newspaper and several magazines, while also standing on their own as independent works of fine art.

Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, said the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to appreciate the diverse artistic styles of multiple generations of Vietnamese artists.

Among them are artists whose careers began before Vietnam's Doi Moi (Renovation) reforms, represented by Associate Professor, People's Teacher and painter Le Anh Van. The exhibition also features artists who have made significant contributions to the development of Vietnamese fine arts in the post-Doi Moi era, including Dao Hai Phong, Pham An Hai and Dang Tien.

The exhibition further showcases contemporary artistic voices that have attracted considerable attention from critics and art professionals, including Bui Tien Tuan, Nguyen Duong Dinh, Vu Dinh Tuan, Nguyen Nghia Cuong and Vo Luong Nhi.

A younger generation of artists contributes additional visual energy through rich and vibrant color palettes, including Tran Xuan Binh, Nguyen Van Duc, Nguyen Van Chung, Tung Nguyen and Thu Trang.

Notably, several participating artists have worked, or continue to work, in newsrooms in various capacities ranging from newspaper design to editorial roles, while maintaining a deep and lasting commitment to the visual arts.

Among them are painter Dang Tien, former editorial secretary of Hai Phong Newspaper; Do Huu Khoi of VietNamNet; Le Tam of People's Public Security Newspaper; and Nguyen Minh and Kim Duan of Nhan Dan Newspaper.

According to Le Anh Van, illustration is far more than a visual aid that helps readers approach a text more easily or from multiple perspectives.

Each illustration is not merely a visual translation of words. Instead, it acts as a companion character alongside the text, guiding readers deeper into the world created by language.

Le Anh Van said illustrators must read carefully, think deeply and grasp the spirit and atmosphere of a literary work before expressing their interpretation through lines, shapes and color.

An illustrator, he added, needs a broad understanding of literature to recognize whether a work belongs to realism, surrealism, simultaneity or abstraction.

Despite the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, Le Anh Van remains confident in the enduring vitality of traditional hand-drawn illustration.

"AI only synthesizes data. It may be very good at analysis, but because it is a machine, it is often too precise. Human artists are precise in a different way. They carry emotions, hesitation and reflection when responding to a phrase, an idea or a piece of writing. That is why their brushstrokes remain fresh and personal, capable of moving beyond the limits of existing data," Le Anh Van said.

Tinh Le