Artist Van Duong Thanh's Journey to Painting

Having gone through difficult days when his beloved father passed away at just a young age 10 years old but with extraordinary will and energy, Little Van Duong Thanh was determined to study to become a female artist, contributing to the glory of Vietnamese fine arts. Nhiều tác phẩm của Vân Dương Thành từng được Bảo tàng Mỹ thuật quốc gia VN sưu tập khi họa sĩ mới 20 year old…

Kể về cuộc đời mình, Văn Dương Thành nhắc nhiều đến “xứ sở hoa vàng trên cỏ xanh” Phú Yên, There was no one in her family or her family who studied painting. “Dad goes on business trips all the time, I was home alone so I took out a pen and paper… hehe hee hee. In the immature thoughts of a child at that time, I feel like painting is something magical, because it seems to express my feelings. Always miss dad, tôi lại ngồi say sưa vẽ theo ý mình rồi gởi kèm với thư viết cho ông. Very strange. Suppose if you just saw a row of trees in real life, Tomorrow you may forget or when autumn comes, the leaves will fall, Even the trees are gone… But once in the painting, the idea is passed, thinking, the emotions and expressions of the artist, Suddenly that work of nature was full of life, touched the hearts of so many people. Since, Painting is like hypnosis, guide me throughout my life…”, Artist Van Duong Thanh was moved.

Ma'am, What was the turning point that brought a small-town girl in the Central region to have the opportunity to go to Hanoi to study at the prestigious Vietnam Fine Arts School??

I was lucky to meet Professor – Sculptor Diep Minh Chau when he visited the school and talked to students. It would be right to call it a turning point, but for Van Duong Thanh… destiny is probably more accurate.

Back then, when I was a kid, My father was sent to Hanoi to work. He brought me and the whole family with him. Thanks to that, my life was right 2 years to live fully in the arms of family.

Back to studying, That day, artist Diep Minh Chau heard his teacher say that there was a friend Thanh in my class who drew very well, so he gave me pen and paper to try., rồi mang bản thảo ấy về cho Ban Giám hiệu Trường ĐH Mỹ thuật VN xem. Who would have thought 1 The following year, I received my notice to go to school. At that time, My father had passed away, so I saw my mother's "widow and orphan" family situation, The principal came to consult my mother, that: "Than 600 but only Thanh was chosen to enter such a prestigious art school, She agreed not because 12 The school year is very long?”. Mom loves dad so much that she doesn't need to think too much, she said: “Ba cháu rất thích cho cháu vẽ nên nếu Thành thích thì cho theo học ngay”. I jumped for joy, I wanted to scream loudly at my mother's extraordinary decision.

But it's new in the school stage… I fell back because I just had it 11 year old, Since I've never been to school, I don't know anything about lacquer, sketch, geometry… What is it?. Famous artist Tran Van Can, The principal at that time approved it for me and Ca Le Thang (son of patriotic intellectual Ca Van Thinh)… special, not through entrance exam. I was like a "bewildered golden deer" in the middle of a Western school, On the podium are all the names of Indochina: Tran Van Can, Bui Xuan Phai, Luong Xuan Nhi, Tran Dinh Tho, Nguyen Van Ty… Thinking of my deceased father and loving my mother, I try to study well every day of the week, Even on Sundays, I sit and draw.

From the barefoot girl, The house hasn't had a full meal yet, I gradually get used to placing colors on top of each other, then speed – The gliding speed of the pen stroke is accurate, How to express the spongy texture of velvet, silk, hair, or the luster of human skin, how the shadow falls… After one year, I had my teachers bring my work out to lecture in class for my seniors, which made me extremely happy.

She also evacuated. Heard that, Văn Dương Thành cũng như nghệ sĩ piano Đặng Thái Sơn đã phải trải nghiệm thực tế rất vất vả, even almost lost his life?

Tôi học mỹ thuật phải ở nội trú nên có lúc trường sơ tán về Hà Bắc. At that time, the country was still difficult, The war was fierce, so everyone went through years of deprivation. While the request was made at that time, người nghệ sĩ muốn có tác phẩm tốt thì phải qua trải nghiệm nhiều nên trong 3 net year, I live in rural Hebei, go splash water, rice cultivation, pound rice, eat and sleep with the farmer. The house has no door, so in winter the wind blows into the roof, I lay on the bamboo tray, feeling cold all over my spine.

The body is not very strong, I often suffer from asthma and cough, Bones and joints ache all over the body. Dang Thai Son at that time was no better than me. He's also a hoe, Shovel hands work hard. During a field trip to Ham Rong bridge (Thanh Hóa), While drawing, I was bombed by a plane and almost lost my life…

Even so, Ms. Vu Giang Huong and Mr. Tran Van Can at school kept reminding me: “There is no other way to make art than to plunge into life so that paintings can have many emotions.”. Tôi vất vả quá, khóc dữ lắm nhưng nếu không vượt qua thì làm sao trở thành họa sĩ chuyên nghiệp như mơ ước, lại cố… Because it's too big, my class 30 – 40 học sinh vào, only 12 Only those who can survive will graduate. After that, Seeing that my foreign language skills were still limited, I applied to continue studying English at the English Department at Hanoi University of Foreign Languages.. Graduated with honors, I returned to work at the Institute of Cultural Research (Ministry of Culture), before going to Sweden to continue studying and staying there to teach. Nhưng dù ở đâu, I will always be Vietnamese as artist Trong Kiem wrote to me, gracefully wearing the traditional ao dai every time participating in major events with many heads of state and especially happy when paintings are continuously won. 16 National art museums in the world collect.

Had the opportunity to meet and draw portraits of many famous Vietnamese people: General Vo Nguyen Giap, famous painter Le Ba Dang, famous painter Bui Xuan Phai, nhạc sĩ Phạm Duy, Musician Nguyen Thien Dao, danh họa – musician Van Cao…, She must have unforgettable memories. The story of how General Vo Nguyen Giap once sat down to paint her portrait?

Đời cho tôi may mắn có cơ hội được gặp nhiều người tài năng và có người tôi vẽ đến 120 paintings like famous artist Bui Xuan Phai. While at art school, I often save money to have enough breakfast 5 coins to buy 1 Arts newspaper and saw illustrations by artist Bui Xuan Phai, Van Cao, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Sang admires it very much… After reading, cut it out and paste it into a newspaper. Later, artist Bui Xuan Phai had a very profound influence on my life and career and I always considered him my spiritual teacher..

With musician Pham Duy, I will always remember the memories of that year 1994, at the Van Duong Thanh private exhibition in Paris (France), bác bay từ California sang dự triển lãm cùng nhà phê bình văn học Phan Huy Đường và GS Trần Văn Khê. Xem những bức phong cảnh về Hàng Dầu hay nhìn cây đa quê nhà mà Văn Dương Thành vẽ, He was so moved that he spontaneously played it Love is still wandering. GS Trần Văn Khê lấy tay bóc nhịp tách tách đồng điệu khiến bác Phạm Duy long lanh nước mắt. he said: “I feel like I'm returning to my Mother's hometown”.

Mr. Le Ba Dang, Pham Tang is so famous in the painting world that I also meet many people. Riêng thiên tài âm nhạc Nguyễn Thiện Đạo thì sống ở Paris cũng mời tôi qua ăn cơm. Musician Vu Thanh An once visited my home in Hanoi, hold the guitar and sing. Tôi hạnh phúc vì mù nhạc nhưng lại được nhiều cây đại thụ về âm nhạc quý mến. Since meeting Mr. Bui Xuan Phai last year 17 years old until Uncle Phai passed away in 1988, there were approx 300 sketch and approx 20 Large oil painting by Van Duong Thanh. Musician Trinh Cong Son drew for me 1 very beautiful picture.

General Vo Nguyen Giap drew thread all his life 4 the picture is 1 drawing of grandson Vo Thanh Trung, remaining 3 To be… Draw me exactly like you. He also respectfully signed his name below the painting right at his home 30 Hoàng Diệu. Opposite, I also draw close up 50 portrait of the general with the deepest respect, trong đó có tác phẩm vinh dự đặt ở Viện Bảo tàng Lịch sử QĐND VN năm 2017.

Spent a long time living and working abroad, What about her hometown makes her miss the most?? If artist Diep Minh Chau had discovered the talent of Van Duong Thanh when he was still a member, would she have been able to repeat that with the younger generation??

Living, vẽ tranh và dạy học ở Thụy Điển nhưng năm nào tôi cũng tranh thủ về thăm quê. Every time I sit alone in a foreign land, điều cho tôi nhiều cảm xúc nhất là quê hương nơi ba mẹ tôi sinh ra ở Phú Yên. Tôi nhớ những buổi chiều ra biển lốc cốc trên chiếc xe ngựa nên tôi yêu quý đại dương vô cùng. From then on I fell in love with painting the sea. Later, there are rice fields, thatched roof, banana tree, bamboo row, coconut groves, flocks of flamingos… Just like that, All things of the countryside gently enter my paintings. Sometimes I even went to the West to stay 3 month to focus on composing.

Every time the new year comes in a foreign country, White snow falls outside, While the Christmas tree sparkles, in my house I diligently paint spring apricot blossoms, Peach blossoms bloom. So many difficult childhood memories kept flooding back to a foreign land, Then the years of hardship when the family evacuated without anyone by their side. I love you so much. So, In my paintings there is always pain, sadness and strength…

In my life, I have never discovered a child talent like Professor Diep Minh Chau, But I have also taught thousands of students, many of whom have graduated from prestigious American schools, Older brother, Sweden. Besides that is 2.000 The picture was drawn with 90 personal exhibition, là những con số đạt được với nghị lực không nhỏ.

Triển lãm của bà khai mạc tối 16.4 tại Peony & Iris Art Gallery (Q.1, Ho Chi Minh City) thu hút sự quan tâm của người xem và báo chí. Image: Nguyen A

Nguồn: Tác giả Lê Công Sơn – Thanh Nien Newspaper 18/04/2021)