“Would you please paint the bicycle for me?”
That was the question that connected my grandparents their entire lives. It was during the early years of the resistance war against the French in the mountains and forests of Việt Bắc where famous artist Tô Ngọc Vân organized the first Resistance Art class in a context of bombs and bullets. My grandfather, artist Mai Long, was one of his first students. Twenty years old, full of dreams, he studied with his fellows, artist Lưu Công Nhân, artist Trần Lưu Hậu, artist Trần Đông Lương, artist Trọng Kiệm and other famous Vietnamese artist.
My grandmother, Ms Lê Minh Châu, daughter of Tuyên Quang province, went to the war zone to study medicine and met my grandfather there. I think that at that time she was a very “bold” girl so she was proactive like that, and I’m pretty sure that artist Mai Long was “shy” and that’s why. There is a saying “tea of Thái, ladies of Tuyên” meaning that tea of Thái Nguyên is nowhere better, ladies of Tuyên Quang are nowhere as beautiful, with her intelligence and gentle beauty, she made the young Mai Long immediately fall in love. I wonder if the bike was painted right away or not? But a simple, rustic wedding held in the Northwest with guests who were teachers and close friends took place not long after. My grandparents’ youth was associated with the wind and clouds, the sound of streams, in small wooden house nestled on the edge of the forest, the sound of birds singing every morning, and the clucking chicken calling its children to come to the coop when dusk falling, of the great revolution, looking forward to the day of success for the country to be at peace and the Vietnamese people to be free. My grandparents’ love is nurtured every day with such simple things. My mother, my uncle and my aunt were born with the love of their parents during such beautiful years.
Also because of the youthful years, with so much love and beautiful emotions formed in the mountains and forests of Việt Bắc, artist Mai Long was especially successful with the theme of highlands, each tree, each grass, the people of highland seem to shine through his paintings, sparkling and filled with the love of an artist living his true life. This feeling of his has never faded until today. Although he traveled a lot, his footsteps went to almost every place in Việt Nam. He arrived in Laos and Cambodia right in the midst of bombs and bullets. When the country was still divided, embargoed, closed to the world, he also went to European countries, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, etc. He went to feel the world and learn about different cultures, meeting friends and artists around the world and also let the world feel the beauty of Việt Nam through his poetic works. Although he traveled to many places, his heart is always towards the land of Việt Nam, the people of Việt Nam and especially the mountains and forests of Việt Bắc, the place of clouds and smoke, the small house by the stream, the place of his gentle wife and their children.
Now he, artist Mai Long, is over ninety years old and every time he talks about these topics, it seems like the fire of passion within him immediately flares up strongly and each time the story is told, he spoke about the love and affection of his youth.
Written by Khúc Ngọc Minh
Mai Long (born in 1930), “Portrait of Ms Lê Minh Châu”.
Collection of the artist’s family.
Trọng Kiệm (1934-1991), “Portrait of artist Mai Long”.
Collection of artist Mai Long’s family.
Mai Long (born in 1930), “On an afternoon at the market”, 1970s, silk, 81×115cm.
Collection of the artist’s family.
Mai Long (born in 1930), “Dream of the highland”, 1960s, silk, 81×61cm.
Collection of the artist’s family.
Mai Long (born in 1930), “Young woman”, 2000s,
lacquer on wood, 100×80cm.
Collection of the artist’s family.
The photo of artist Mai Long and his wife, Ms Lê Minh Châu
