On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Điện Biên Phủ over the air victory (December 1972 – December 22, 2022), the 78th anniversary of the founding of Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944 – December 22, 2022), Vietnam Fine Arts Museum organizes thematic exhibition ‘Military and people’. The exhibition opens at 15:00 on December 20, 2022 and will be on display until December 30, 2022 at Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (No. 66 Nguyễn Thái Học, Hanoi).
Our country has had to go through many long-term resistance wars to get independence, which is the result of a process of enduring struggle and solidarity between our entire army and people. The Vietnam People’s Army was established as an Army from the people, fighting for the people. The solidarity between the army and the people has always been a source of artistic inspiration for artists, which has become a popular theme depicted in music, poetry, television, fine arts, etc. Generations of artists have represented that lofty sentiment by many beautiful paintings on this topic.
The exhibition ‘Military and People’ introduces to the public more than 50 works selected in the Collection of Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, most of which are created on the theme of solidarity between the army and people in the wars against the French, against the US with many visual categories such as painting, graphics, sculpture, etc. The works are created on a variety of different materials such as oil, lacquer, gouache, silk, watercolor, woodcut, bronze, aluminum, plaster, etc, in which gouache and watercolor are the two materials that make up the majority of the exhibition. Because these are two materials that convenient to carry and paint directly, promptly meet the needs of propaganda and promotion for the movements of that time.
Exhibition including many generations of painters, Indochina period: Trần Văn Cẩn (1910 – 1994), Nguyễn Đỗ Cung (1912- 1977), Hoàng Tích Chù (1912 – 2003), Văn Giáo (1916 – 2018), Lê Quốc Lộc (1918- 1987), Huỳnh Văn Thuận (1921- 2017), Mai Văn Hiến (1923- 2006), Phan Kế An (1923- 2018)… The Resistance Class: Trịnh Phòng (1922), Mai Long (1930)… The Tô Ngọc Vân Class: Vũ Giáng Hương (1929-2011), Nguyễn Thụ (1930), Hoàng Anh (1932 – 1968), Lương Quý (1933 – 2010)… and generations of contemporary painters: Trần Huy Oánh (1937), Lê Trọng Lân (1942), Đỗ Như Cẩn (1946), Lê Trí Dũng (1949)… bring many special works, rich in artistic value.
Hoàng Tích Chù (1912-2003). Night at base. 1966. Lacquer. 95×162 cm
The exhibition ‘Military and People’ has shown the diversity of styles, categories and materials through each work. Some of the works can be mentioned such as: ‘Night at base’ – a large-scale lacquer painting by Hoàng Tích Chù (1912-2003). The painting depicts people of the South with the typical bà ba shirt and rằn scarf, and the soldiers transporting provision to the base. The strong body of each character in Night at base is reminiscent of Joseph Fernand Henri Léger’s solid, stocky shapes. With sharp visual language and vivid colors, the artist accurately reflected the spirit of urgency and enthusiasm of the South Vietnamese Army and people in the resistance war against the US. From children, women, the elderly to soldiers, all of them worked together in harmony to quickly complete the work.
Mai Văn Hiến (1923- 2006). Singing in the campaign season. 1994. Oil. 120×180 cm
Or the painting ‘Singing in the campaign season’ by Mai Văn Hiến (1923- 2006) with gentle color but highlighting the optimism and love for life “the singing over the bomb” of the army and people… Mai Văn Hiến seems to love revolutionary romantic realism. His works not only reflect contemporary social reality but also have high artistic value. Therefore, in this painting, from the artist’s visual perspective, we see a revolutionary epic but still poetic and romantic. Although wars had chaos, separation and loss, but after those fiery battles, soldiers and people still had moments of rest and cultural activities, regenerating more energy and motivation to fight for the country.
Văn Giáo (1916 – 1996). Drying soldier’s clothes. 1962. Gouache. 53×64 cm
Or a very idyllic scene represented in the painting ‘Drying soldier’s clothes’ by painter Văn Giáo (1916-1996). The whole painting with warm yellow-brown main color, the central character is a highland girl sitting by the fire carefully drying the soldier’s clothes. Văn Giáo is a socialist realist painter. The true reality of the human outlook reflects the spirit of the time. Therefore, his works always depict life in the process of revolutionary development, upholding the historical role of the people. In ‘Drying soldier’s clothes’, the arrtist had subtly represented the lofty sentiment, the care of the people with soldiers. For generations, the people have always been a solid base for the soldiers on the front lines.
Nguyễn Đỗ Cung (1912- 1977). Front of An Khê. Gouache. 31,5×50,5 cm
Besides the works created during the war period from 1945-1975, the works created after 1975 to 2002 such as: Welcoming the soldiers back to the village by Cao Trọng Thiềm (1942), Striking the stronghold by Nguyễn Xuân Chuyên, Trường Sơn stove by Vũ Giáng Hương (1929-2011), Crossing the river by Lê Trí Dũng (b. 1949), etc. It is the artists who have directly experienced and recorded actual images to represent the country’s precious traditions of military and people attachment.
Lê Quốc Lộc (1918- 1987). Over the Miếu slope. 1974. Lacquer. 39×159,5 cm
Although they share the same theme, each work in the exhibition brings a unique painting perspective of each artist to realistically and vividly portray the close and enduring attachment of the army and the people through each period, with unique visual language, highlighting the solidarity of our nation from the past to the present. That sacred sentiment is not only present in the time of war, but also in peacetime, the People’s Army force still actively supports the people to increase production, protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.
The exhibition ‘Military and people’ not only depicts the connection between the army and the people, honoring the precious tradition of uniting the whole people, but also vivid visual images in colors, lines and strokes of subtle visual language, helps young generation today better understand the history of Vietnam People’s Army.
Some works at the exhibition:
Lê Thược. Armed struggle. 1983. Plaster. 99×97×38 cm
Trần Văn Cẩn (1910 – 1994). Trench transportation in the resistance war. 1969. Watercolor. 39,5×27,4 cm
Huỳnh Văn Thuận (1921- 2017). Activities after the win. 1950. Watercolor. 23,7×36,6 cm
Phan Kế An (1923- 2018). Between two battles. 1968. Watercolor. 30×40 cm
Trần Viết Lý. Best wishes for you. 1960. Oil. 75×100 cm
Đỗ Như Cẩn (1946). On the campaign road. 1983. Aluminium. 49×79 cm
Lê Thanh Trừ. Transport ammunition. 1975. Lacquer engraving. 59×84 cm
Phạm Thị Đoàn Thanh. Shooting practice. Woodcut. 19,5×28 cm
Trần Huy Oánh (1937). Paved the way on the top of Trường Sơn. 1973. Watercolor. 34,5×49,4 cm
Written by Viet Art View
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