OUR FEATURED ARTIST - Nguyen Van Phoung Nguyen Van Phuong is one of the most remarkable Vietnamese artists. His consistent style shows a subtle combination of Western technique and Eastern spirit. He began his painting study with a Germany professor in 1946 and held a solo exhibition in Hanoi in 1950 and another in Hai Phuong in 1951. Afterward, he came to the south and attended Gia Dinh Fine Arts School. His drawing is therefore very strong and precise. Yet, his prominent characteristics are those he inherits and develops from conventional art. Some of these traits are especially revealed by the figures of peasants who—in his paintings—have unusually big and coarse limbs. More-over, in all of his paintings, we can find dark contours characterizing conventional wood-block prints. Phuong's works are quite distinctive, revealing a refined fusion of some classical elements and his inspiration from former times. An out-of the-way artist who obstinately maintains the Northern Vietnamese life-style some sixty years ago, Phuong has plunged himself through the world of art, then into transitional society. He was, actually, the witness of the day-to-day changes in Hanoi at that time, in clothing, life-style, education, literature, fine arts and so on. We can recognize the conflicts of that complex transitional society in Spring Flowers. This painting depicts two urban girls wearing shoes and the so-called "modern ao dai" (new styled ao dai), letting down their hair while a barefooted rural flower-girl dressing in traditional costumes, winding her hair with a cloth strip (the red one around the head of the first girl on the left), and forming some of a traditional style call toc duoi ga (the dangling flock of hair for unmarried girls). In old time, Vietnamese villages had such an important role that they were considered the center of Vietnamese life. However, during this period, there had been an interchange between urban and rural people. Actually, Phuong's paintings are a collection of Vietnamese cultural traits, with rational festivals, old customs, former cityscapes and buildings, former social activities, and so on. Most of his works have nostalgia-provoking titles Pavilion of Letter in the Spring, A Traditional Music Band, Spring Festival at Lim Village, Young Girls of Noi Due and Lim Village, Scooping Water in the Moonlight. In these paintings, all human figures wear traditional figures wear traditional costumers, looking as Rustic and candid as former farmers. And the building appears antiquated. In many cityscapes like Ben thanh Market, the author also puts in a buggy, brining about a romantic feeling of the remote past. Indeed, the artist intends to remind us of what he calls the past "gold age", which is expressed by life like images and glorious, especially yellow and crimson. In fact, there is no painting of his that does not contain these two colours, widely preferred by aristocrats in former times. Another remarkable feature in Phuong's paintings is his colours. He is obviously skilled in using the five colours call Nug Sac [white, green, black, red, yellow—a notion relating to the eastern philosophy of the five basic elements call Ngu hanh (metal, wood, water, fire earth)]. These five original elements have reciprocal and dialectic relations, in which each elements transmutes continually. Phuong often calls his are world "the epoch of Eternal Spring". All of his paintings reveal a brilliant and vibrant life, regardless of whether they depict a festival or people at work. In fact, traditional festivals were held not only in the Spring but throughout the year. Though former people had to work very hard, they all felt happy, or at least believed in happiness in life. Perhaps it is this happiness that extends the Spring to the end of the year, when another Spring comes. This is why Phuong's world of art looks both ardent and straightforward. NGUYEN VAN PHUONG A R T I S T—P A I N T E R—S C U L P T O R * Born: 1930—Ha Noi, Viet Nam ART ACTIVITIES: * 1950: Solo Exhibition at the Municipal Information Hall, Ha Noi * 1951: Solo Exhibition at the Municipal Information Hall, Hai Phong * 1955: Participated in the "Salon des Beaux-Arts", Municipal Hall, Saigon * 1957: Solo Exhibition, Vietnam Asian Culture Association, Saigon * 1958: Solo Exhibition with the Theme: " Epoch of an Eternal Spring", Saigon * 1959: Participated in the: "Painting Exhibition of the Spring", Saigon * 1962: Participated in the "First International Art Exhibition", Saigon Member of the National Jury of the "First International Art Exhibition", Saigon * 1967: Solo Exhibition at Municipal Hall, Saigon * 1967: Organized and Participated in the Exhibition "Salon Contemporain", Saigon * 1968: Solo Exhibition at Alliance Francaise, Saigon * 1969: Solo Exhibition at Vietnamese-American Association, Saigon * 1993: Participated in the "Vietnamese Art Exhibition", Matsukawa Gallery, Tokyo, Japan * 1994: Participated in the "Painting Exhibition by Four Vietnamese Artists", Julita Museum, Sweden * 1995: Participated in the "Vietnamese Art Exhibition", Matsukawa Gallery, Seoul, Korea * 1998: Solo Exhibition, Tu Do Gallery, HCM City * Since 1990: Paintings Are Being Shown Permanently at Tu Do Gallery, HCM City WRITINGS: * "Vietnamese Contemporary Arts" Published by the Ministry of Educatiuon (Saigon, 1962) * Dozen of Art Critic Articles in Newspapers and Magazines in Saigon before 1975. LITERATURE: * "Nguyen Van Phuong and an Etenal Spring" by Nguyen Hung * "Sai Gon Giai Phong Saturday" Weekly Magazine. No. 411 (19/12/98) page 24 * "Nguyen Van Phuong's Painting—An Eternal Spring" by Phu Sa * "Thanh Nien " Newspaper, No. 1 (1415). Friday, Jan. 1/1999 page 4 * "Nguyen van Phuong—The Artist of an Eternal Spring" by Long Nghi * "VIETNAM Business" Magazine. Vol. 9 No. 1 Jan, 1-15/1999, page 35 * "An Eternal Spring and Nguyen Van Phuong" by Long Nghi * "Tai Hoa Tre" Magazine No. 66 (Jan,1,1999) page 65 * "An Enternal Spring" by Hai San * "Nguoi Lao Dong" Newspaper NGUYEÃN VAÊN PHÖÔNG Hoïa só & Ñieâu khaéc gia * Sinh naêm 1930 taïi Haø Noäi, Vieät Nam * Baét ñaàu veõ töø 1946 HOAÏT ÑOÄNG HOÄI HOÏA: * 1950: Trieån laõm caù nhaân taïi phoøng thoâng tin Haø Noäi * 1951: Trieån laõm caù nhaân taïi phoøng thoâng tin Haûi Phoøng * 1955: Tham döï "Salon des Beaux-Arts" do cô quan vaên hoùa Phaùp toå chöùc taïi toøa Ñoâ Chaùnh Saøi Goøn * 1957: Trieån laõm caù nhaân taïi truï sôû hoäi Hieäp Hoäi Vaên Hoùa AÙ Chaâu Vieät Nam, Saøi Goøn) * 1958: Trieån laõm caù nhaân mang chuû ñeà "Thôøi Ñaïi muøa Xuaân Vónh Cöûu" taïi truï sôû hoäi Vaên Buùt Quoác Teá Vieät Nam (Pen Club), Saøi Goøn * 1959: Tham döï "Trieån laõm Hoäi hoïa muøa Xuaân" taïi Saøi Goøn * 1962: Tham döï "Ñeä Nhaát Trieån Laõm Quoác Teá Myõ Thuaät" taïi Saøi Goøn. UÛûy Vieân ban Giaùm Khaûo Quoác Gia "Ñeä Nhaát Trieån Laõm Quoác Teá Myõ Thuaät" taïi Saøi Goøn * 1967: Toå chöùc vaø tham döï "Phoøng Tranh Hieän Ñaïi" taïi toøa Ñoâ Chaùnh Saøi Goøn * 1968: Trieån laõm caù nhaân taïi Phaùp Vaên Ñoàng Minh Hoäi, Saøi Goøn * 1969: Trieån laõm caù nhaân taïi Hoäi Vieät Myõ, Saøi Goøn * 1993: Tham gia trieån laõm taïi phoøng tranh Matsukawa, Tokyo, Nhaät Baûn * 1994: Tham gia trieån laõm taïi baûo taøng Nordiska, laâu ñaøi Julita, Thuïy Ñieån * 1995: Tham gia trieån laõm Hoäi Hoïa Vieät Nam taïi phoøng tranh Matsukawa, Haùn Thaønh, Ñaïi Haøn * Tröng baøy thöôøng xuyeân taïi phoøng tranh Töï Do, Tp.Hoà Chí Minh töø 1990 TAÙC PHAÅM BIEÂN KHAÛO: * "Ngheä Thuaät Vieät Nam Hieän Ñaïi" do boä Giaùo Duïc xuaát baûn vaø phaùt haønh trong ngaøy khai maïc "Ñeä Nhaát Trieån Laõm Quoác Teá Myõ Thuaät" taïi coâng vieân Tao Ñaøn Saøi Goøn naêm 1962 * Moät soá baøi pheâ bình veà myõ thuaät ñaêng treân nhaät baùo Töï Do vaø taïp chí Baùch Khoa taïi Saøigoøn tröôùc naêm 1975 THÖ MUÏC: * "Nguyeãn Vaên Phöông vôùi muøa xuaân vónh cöõu " baøi cuûa Nguyeân Höng * Baùo "Saøi Goøn Giaûi Phoùng Thöù Baûy " Soá 411 (19/12 /1998) trang 24 * "Muøa Xuaân Vónh Cöuõ trong tranh Nguyeãn Vaên Phöông "baøi cuûa Phuø Sa * Baùo "Thanh Nieân" soá 1(1415). Thöùsaùu ngaøy 1-1-1999 trang 4 * "Nguyeãn Vaên Phöông—The Artist of an Eternal Spring "- baøi cuûa Long Nghi * Taïp chí" VIETNAM business" quyeån 9 soá 1 (1-15/1/1999) trang 35 * "Hoïa Só Nguyeãn Vaên Phöông vaø muøa xuaân vónh cöõu"baøi cuûa Long Nghi * Baùo" Taøi Hoa Treû " soá 66 (25/1/99) trang 65 * "Muøa Xuaân Vónh Cöõu " baøi cuûa Haûi San * Baùo" Ngöôøi Lao Ñoäng " * NGUYEÃN VAÊN PHÖÔNG —THE ARTIST OF AN ETERNAL SPRING by Ñaëng Long Nghi It is obvious that Phöông's paintings have a unique characteristic of the East and of Vietnam—an individual distinction combining with some classical elements and his inspiration of former life, especially in the North—which evidently distinguishes him from other contemporary Vietnamese artist painters. Why this artist has such charisma is a question that can be found out when tracing back to his childhood and green years, with the historical background of the North in the first half of the 20th century. Vietnam had been thrown into confusion when the French colonists came to this territory, especially after the Patenoâtre Treaty on June, 6th 1884 which officially set the French protectorate to the whole country. Now the French began importing their culture to Vietnam. However, in the North, series of deep changes had appeared since the beginning of the 20th century, and especially since the 1930s. Changes then took place in every field: lifestyle, education, literature, fine art... , causing so many improvements as well as disturbances to the Northern Vietnamese people at that time. In literature, a movement of romantic French-style prose was developed at the same time with the movement of new-poetry (phong traøo thô môùi), which characterized the freedom of prosody and expression, liberal ideas and sentiments, and individualism. That was the youth of modern Vietnamese literature. In painting, a generation of artists from Indochinese Fine Arts College (established in 1925 by the French) developed new styles and new materials, which laid the foundations of modern Vietnamese painting. French schools were set up, producing generations of new persons with new mind, new thoughts, new sentiments, new activities, new ideals, new ambitions - an essential class of people who had contributed to the changes of that society. Besides, some scholars, counterfeit scholars, and some youths, to different extents, followed the French's styles and standards such as the way of greeting, speaking, dressing... ; it made the confused society become more complicated. At that time, men with short hair in European suits were easily seen among those with traditional buns (buùi toù) in traditional costumes (aùo daøi), and even those with short hair wearing traditional costumes. There were some women gaving up traditional styles of hair (generally hair was wound around the head with a cloth string—vaán toùc) for new fashion such as letting down their hair, perming their hair... Some people stopped dying their teeth black, which was considered to be ashamed for their white ones looked "as terrible as those of pigs". Conflicts were set up between the old and the new, the foreign and the traditional, the old and the young, the urban and the rural, among which those between the old and the new were most remarkable. Traditionally, the new in general had to fight violently against the old, and eventually, just improvements with national traits won. A good example for this was the reforming of women's traditional costumes, which first took place in Haø Noäi. Now women in Haø Noäi gradually replaced their conventional skirts with loose trousers like those of Southern women. The wave of Western European culture flowing into the North had influenced the liking of the bourgeoisie, petty bourgeosie, and urban youths. In 1935, an artist named Leâ Caùt Töôøng from Indochinese Fine Arts College made new styles of aùo daøi (traditional dresses) called aùo daøi Le Mur (Le Mur was Caùt Töôøng's French nick name) or aùo daøi taân thôøi (modern aùo daøi). Many details of aùo daøi Le Mur were borrowed from contemporary European dresses, therefore those aùo daøi looked similar to European dresses; only traditional flaps (taø aùo daøi) were remained. However, in 1939, aùo daøi taân thôøi rejected some borrowed details and revived some conventional ones. Now they really looked well and rather similar to the aùo daøi we wear nowadays. Nevertheless, they were criticized so much at that time. Ladies wearing aùo daøi taân thôøi were considered to be flirts. There were also some popular songs mocking at them. Any transitional society always has certain positive aspects and values, from which the people living in unusual circumstances became more sensitive and thoughtful. Nguyeãn Vaên Phöông, above anyone, being born and growing up in that transitional period, had the pleasure of witnessing the day-to-day changes in Haø Noäi that impressed him so much. He therefore has depicted his impressions through painting. And his paintings animatedly revive the then life. Now we can recognize the conflicts of that transitional society on the painting " Spring Flowers" (NVP. 70), from which we see that two urban girls are wearing aùo daøi taân thôøi and shoes, letting down their hair while a rural girl selling flowers is dressing in traditional costumes, winding her hair with a cloth string (the red one round the head of the first girl from the left on the painting), and forming some hair in a traditional style called toùc ñuoâi gaø (for unmarried girls only). We know that in old times, Vietnamese villages had such an important role that they were the center of Vietnamese life. However, during this period of time, there had been an interchange between the urban and the rural. Actually, Phöông's paintings gather in a collection of Vietnamese cultural traditions, conventional festivals, old customs, old habits, old people and old life. Sometimes, he paints streets and buildings, all of which are either of former time or cultural heritage sites. That is not a surprise when we learn that he is both an unusual artist and a nostalgic man who has a great regard for conventionally national values. He does not live in the real life of the present time, but lives in the past together with his glorious ancient things and his extraordinary imagination. Therefore, he is widly considered as an out-of-the-way man in the present life, and that he has rejected himself from this space and this time. Maybe he is quite an antiquated man. But he always feels very happy in his own world. More than fifty years has passed along with so many changes of the national history and society; now all the things of the transitional period were completely pushed back into the past. However, it must be a nice surprise when finding that even today, in the last decade of the 20th century, there is still a man following the lifestyle and the standards of the 1930s, 1940s—dressing, speaking, feeling, thinking in the way of the then people. And that must be the reason why his paintings show deeply and perfectly the aspects of that then society. Logically, fomer life has become his passionate subject and inexhaustible inspiration. Phöông has a consistent style, which is a refined and subtle combination of Western technique, Eastern characteristics and Eastern spirit. Although he is a self-taught artist, he has studied painting academically since he was a little child. So his drawing is very strong and precise. But his prominent properties are his national traits, which he inherits and develops from conventional art, and the purely national soul and qualities that he covers his whole paintings. Some of his traits are especially expressed in his images of the peasants who—on his paintings—have unusually big and coarse hands and feet. Moreover, on all of his paintings, we can find out black contours characterized conventional art. Also, his lively colours are remarkable. He is quite a special artist who uses cleverly the five colours called nguõ saéc (white, green, black, red, yellow), a notion relating to the Eastern philosophy of the five basic elements called nguõ haønh (metal, wood, water, fire, earth). These five original elements of the nature are in a mutable state. They have reciprocal and dialectic relations, in which each element transmutes continually. The mechanism of this transmutation consists of the töông sinh (the concord as well as the process of originating) and the töông khaéc (the discord or the process of winning and terminating). Those processes represent the circle of originating—terminating (quaù trình sinh—dieät)—the essence of everything. So these five elements are used to give explanations to the origins and kinds of natural things and phenomena. When understanding this philosophy, one can discover Phöông's world of colours. It seems that, in some cases, the West and the East do not meet each other in the opinion of harmony, particularly harmony of colours. For the East, not only combinations of similar colours but also of contrast ones are praised, because both the töông sinh and the töông khaéc are present. Especially, as shown by many works of Phöông, the colours of former women's costumes clearly supported this point of view: each clothing has many colours at variance. However, it might be a surprise since all the women chose just a few colours for their costumes. Mostly, there were some colours in need for one costume such as peach colour, yellow, green; the others to combine with were black, brown, orange, purple, etc. Maybe after so long a time of choosing and testing, they finally found the right colours to combine. Also, Phöông often says that his paintings describe the golden age with glorious colours. In fact, there is no painting of his that does not contain yellow and crimson—the two noble colours according to Vietnamese people. In former time, aristocrats generally used them; especially, yellow is one of former kings' symbols. Some people say that Phöông's colours are influenced by Matisse'. When we mentioned this to Phöông, he smiled naturally and asked, "Why don't we think to the contrary that Matisse was influenced by the East?" Phöông soon found out his style, then founded the epoch of his own that he called "the epoch of an Eternal Spring". In truth, all of his pantings deeply express a brilliant and vibrant life, regardless of whether it is a festival or a scene of people working hardly. It was also a characteristic of Vietnam that festivals were held frequently not only on Spring but throughout the year. Though former people were poor and very busy toiling to get their livings, they always longed for fun. Sometimes, they willingly walked dozens of kilometers to take part in a festival, then returned home in early next morning to resume their work. And they all felt really happy or at least believed in the happiness of life, which they mostly prayed for while worshipping their deities during many of those festivals. Thus, happiness was the essence, the proud of Vietnamese people, so the spring extended to the end of a year until another spring came in the next year. Indeed, it was an Eternal Spring, a brilliant and happy life, in which everybody lived as naturally and sincerely as his paintings depict. Both the natural and simple philosophy and the spirit of Vietnamese people cover his paintings, recall the essence and the qualities of the country. Once the artist has been attached to such things, he has only a way to go straight. So Phöông has devoted himself to his only style as well as his splendid memories of the past times which he always longs for. -- Dang Hai Son