Da Nang is one of the few provinces and cities in Viet Nam to house a fine art museum, along with Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thua Thien Hue. Entering its tenth year (2014-2024), the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum has gradually affirmed its solid position, becoming a unique cultural address, an interesting venue for visual artists, and fans and tourists from near and far…

Employees at the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts unseal the source of Le Ba Dang paintings donated by art critic Thuy Khue and his wife. Photo: ANH DAO

In order for the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum to become a unique cultural address, an interesting venue, every year, the city’s government allocates a certain amount of money to purchase works of art for display.

However, in the context of difficult budgets, the purchase of such works cannot meet the requirements, both in quantity and quality. In that context, the love for the profession of visual artists, artisans and philanthropists has contributed significantly to creating the freshness, liveliness and appeal of this unique thematic museum.

On the day of its inauguration, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum received 30 valuable paintings as initial assets from painter Tran Khanh Chuong, the late President of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association. After that, many painters in Da Nang and neighbouring localities such as Quang Nam, Thua Thien Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa and Binh Duong happily accepted the invitation to Da Nang to attend creative camps and then donated their own valuable works for the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum.

Painters known to the public such as Vinh Phoi, Truong Be, Ho Huu Thu, Duong Sen, Tran Nguyen Dan, Le Thanh Thu, Le Van, Le Van Duy and Nguyen Thien Duc voluntarily donated their works to Da Nang.

In particular, the museum appreciates the hearts of those who are far away from home and are talented artists. Notable among them is the sculptor and painter Le Cong Thanh with his massive creative career.

Especially, the image of women takes the spotlight in his artworks. He is a true Da Nang native, having left his hometown since childhood, working in the arts and becoming famous in Viet Nam’s northern region. His homeland always lives in his mind.

In the last years of his life, many domestic and foreign collectors intended to buy many paintings and statues from him, but he cleverly refused because he wanted to give priority to giving his homeland the most typical ‘brainchildren’. The special gallery dedicated to painter Le Cong Thanh at the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts really shows the deep affection for his homeland.

Another artist from Da Nang is painter Vinh Khoa, who has lived and worked in Europe for many years. He is famous for his comic art. His name has been affirmed through many major comic awards in Belgium, and Europe at large.

He returned to his hometown in Da Nang to launch exhibitions of his artworks and then donated all the original copies of his most representative paintings, including 60 paintings, to the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts. What a precious heart!

In mid-2023, a wonderful opportunity arose when 253 works and accompanying artifacts owned by the famous painter and sculptor Le Ba Dang in France were transferred to the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts. The famous painter had passed away, but his representatives, Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen - Thuy Khue, Vietnamese intellectuals living in France, connected with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Nhan, the former Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, to successfully promote the meaningful donation.

Veteran painter Vu Trong Thuan is also a Vietnamese living in France. Because he fell in love with Da Nang, he decided to live in this beautiful coastal city for a long time to create his artworks.

His gallery on Tran Hung Dao Street, on the right bank of the Han River, is always a venue for domestic and foreign tourists. When he was old and had to return to France, he donated 30 typical paintings, mainly lacquer ones, to the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum as souvenirs.

Mark Cooper is a famous American multimedia artist and an art lecturer at many prestigious universities in the United States. He has organised exhibitions in many countries around the world, but when he came to Da Nang, he was completely impressed with this city.

After successfully organising an exhibition with the theme ‘The Bridge’ with painter Vu Trong Thuan, he donated to Da Nang a contemporary marble statue weighing 8 tonnes, called ‘Boundless’. This statue full of sentiment is currently placed solemnly in the grounds of the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum.

Japanese collector Toyochi Ytoh has a different, extremely generous response. He is a businessman and has an artistic soul. For nearly 30 years of doing business and travelling in Viet Nam, he has been tirelessly travelling from the South to the North to buy Vietnamese fine artworks from different periods.

His collection of paintings has grown to 250 works, including paintings by famous artists of the Indochina Fine Arts period such as Nguyen Gia Tri, Tran Van Can, Duong Bich Lien and Tu Duyen. He donated the cited valuable collection of paintings to its homeland, Viet Nam. And interestingly, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum was honored to be chosen by him for donations.

The museum has dedicated a space to display paintings donated by Mr. Toyochi Ytoh to express gratitude for this beautiful gesture.

In addition, some managers and artisans in other localities, with their affection for Da Nang, did not hesitate to donate works and fine art products to contribute to making the collection of the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts increasingly full and more attractive. 

Ph.D Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa, the Director of the Ha Noi Ceramic Museum, donated up to 300 artifacts with nearly all typical folk paintings from the North to the South. Likewise, People's Artist Tran Duy Mong, a famous goldsmith in the ancient capital of Hue and the central region at large, donated a collection of goldsmiths and many unique fine art products, creating a quite impressive display space at the museum. Also in a similar vein, Meritorious Artist Nam Tinh, a famous person in the field of lacquer in Binh Duong, donated to the museum a collection of 30 unique artifacts that he has spent over 40 years collecting.

At the age of ten, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum has just passed the stage of childhood, but it has confidently and firmly entered the cultural and spiritual life of this city on the Han River. In addition to the attention of leaders at all levels, the tireless efforts exerted by the team of people directly involved in cultural work and museum work, there is also the love and generosity of many artists, artisans and philanthropists at home and abroad for this important cultural institution.

Reporting by People’s Artist HUYNH HUNG - Translating by A.THU