Each painting of war displayed at the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum is a touching moment and story that not only helps the younger generation understand better about the nation's just war, but also takes pride in the heroic past of the nation, thereby fostering their love for the motherland and the country.

Currently, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum's art gallery themed "people's army" is now home to more than 500 paintings.

Painter Nguyen Trung Ky introducing a war-themed sculpture on display at the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum. Photo: D.H.L

Every displayed painting is a heart touching story

Painter Nguyen Trung Ky, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts, said that there are many paintings made by painters who used to serve in battlefields, such as Nguyen Duc Hanh, Ha Xuan Phong, and Pham Hong.

As an artist who directly participated in the Zone 5 Battlefield and has many paintings on display at the museum, artist Pham Hong highlighted the meaningfulness of such exhibitions featuring paintings of war in prompting him to relive the heroic years of the nation.

He recalled, in 1967, he volunteered to participate in the Zone 5 Battlefield. During that time, he painted about a few hundred paintings and participated in many joint exhibitions. Specially mentioned are "Using weapons to fight the enemy", and "Portrait of female guerrillas in Tam Ky, Quang Nam”.

Especially, in 1968, a dozen of painters from Ha Noi participate in a drawing contest at the Zone 5 Battlefield. Many painters were actively involved in drawing sketches to publicise heroic fighting examples and encourage the fighting spirit and determination to fight and win the enemy.

Apart from paintings made by artists who used to serve in battlefields, many young artists show their keen interest in sketching on the topic of war to protect the fatherland from their own perspective.

Favourable conditions for creating quality paintings

Since its establishment, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum has hosted more than 60 public exhibition events and many other fine arts activities.

Besides, the museum regularly organises painting exhibitions on major national holidays such as National Day (September 2), National Reunification Day (April 30), Uncle Ho's Birthday (May 19). These events inspire not only artists who used to be soldiers but also young artists who grew up after the war to draw on the topic of war and defence of the fatherland.

In order to diversify the topics as well as improve the quality of paintings on the topic of the people's army in general and the war in particular, painter Nguyen Trung Ky said that the museum usually encouraged artists who used to serve in the battlefield to draw paintings.

Most recently, the Alumni Liaison Committee of Hue University of the Arts in collaboration with the Da Nang Fine Arts Association is organising the ‘Convergence of colours’ exhibition to celebrate the 47^th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - 2022) and the 65^th anniversary of the establishment of Hue University of Arts (1957 - 2022).

The ongoing event sees the participation of lecturers from the Hue University of Arts such as former Rector of the Hue University of Arts Phan Thanh Binh; Dean of the Faculty of Graphics - Applied Fine Arts cum Chairman of the Fine Arts Association of Thua Thien Hue Province Nguyen Thien Duc; and painter Phan Hai Bang, known as the creator of Truc chi art. In addition, there are many painters and sculptors who are alumni of the Hue University of Arts living and working in Da Nang, including Hoang Dang, Nguyen Trong Dung, Ho Dinh Nam Kha, and Nguyen Van Ham.

Especially, from 1991 until now, every 5 years, the General Department of Politics of the Viet Nam People's Army in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association launches a composing movement themed "Armed Forces, Revolutionary War, National Construction and Defense".

“The movement has attracted a large number of painters and sculptors from Da Nang and the whole country, thereby creating many works of art of high quality both internally and externallycontent and form of expression. This is also a place where artists show their dignity and responsibility to the Fatherland and the nation's history" emphasised painter Nguyen Trung Ky.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by M.DUNG