After 73 years since his death in 1944, and after nearly 100 years of exhibit King Ham Nghi’s last artwork in 1926, an art exhibition titled “Art in Exile” present more than 150 works of him. Including paintings, drawings, pastels, sculptures, in addition to the passport, marriage certificate and items of King Ham Nghi from private collections and the Paris museum will be exhibited at the Asian Art Museum in Nice, southern France, from March 19th, 2022 to June 26th, 2022.
Poster for the exhibition “Art in exile” in Nice.
Ham Nghi (1871-1944), real name Nguyen Phuc Ung Lich, was the eighth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, reigning on the throne for only one year (1884-1885). At the age of 18, due to his resistance to the establishment of the French protectorate in Indochina, he was exiled to Alger (the capital of the Republic of Algeria).
During his exile in France, he was strictly controlled by the French colonialists, strictly forbidden to have any contact with his homeland, that’s why he give all his time and devotion to learning and creativity. As an art lover, he looked to art as a way to untie his own soul. He actively studied literature, studied photography, created paintings and sculptures. Ham Nghi was a student of the famous artist Marius Reynaud and the sculptor Auguste Rodin and he was also influenced by Paul Gauguin, the leading painter of French Post-Impressionism.
“Art in exile” is not the first exhibition of King Ham Nghi. Before that, he had 3 solo exhibitions with the name “Tu Xuan” which resonated in France. The first exhibition was at the Guimet Museum (1904); the second exhibition at a gallery in 1909 and the third is the Mantelet-Colette exhibition (1926). This exhibition “Art in exile” has a very special meaning because the last time King Ham Nghi’s works were introduced to the art-loving public was in 1926, nearly 100 years ago.
Ham Nghi – ‘Said’. Around 1930. Oil, Private Collection
The exhibition “Art in exile” was preserved and collected by historical researcher Amandine Dabat, the 5th generation descendant of King Ham Nghi.
With the name “Art in Exile”, the organizers of the exhibition wish to give art lovers a complete overview of King Ham Nghi’s entire life as a true artist with the character of a patriotic king.
Most of King Ham Nghi’s works don’t have human images. That is the sadness, loneliness of a person who has to be exiled in a foreign land. Not only that, but with the mood of a king. Therefore, nostalgia for his homeland is always present in his paintings.
Ham Nghi – ‘Untitled’. Around 1900-1903. Oil, Private collection
The topic of King Ham Nghi’s artistic creations has attracted a certain amount of public attention. But when organized in such an elaborate and complete way, the exhibition will delight the public even more. Because the works are very diverse in terms of some mysterious aspects of the inside life of a patriotic king who came to art with the spirit of national pride.
By Viet Art View
