In any era, art is always an indispensable spiritual food, bringing many emotions to people. The Da Nang art market has witnessed important development strides.

The artwork ‘Ngo Mon Hue’ is a lacquer painting by artist Nguyen Huu Duc and was purchased by a Vietnamese French collector. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Huu Duc

Important moves

Till date, the Da Nang art community has still rememberd the story of selling paintings by artist Nguyen Huu Duc, 33, a member of the Da Nang Fine Arts Association. Because those are works that not only have artistic value but also the high prices evaluated by collectors. Among the more than 100 paintings sold, the two most notable are ‘Chieu Vang’ and ‘Ngo Mon Hue’ created in the 2020 - 2021 period with prices of US$10,000 and US$12,000, respectively.

‘Chieu Vang’ was bought by a domestic collector, while ‘Ngo Mon Hue’ was owned by a private French collector of Vietnamese origin living in Paris, France. At his age, Nguyen Huu Duc is highly appreciated by the city’s art community for his persistent and steady creativity with a fast and skillful painting style. Collecting works of art is no longer a new trend.

In recent years, the cit’s fine arts movement has developed strongly; exhibitions have been held more frequently and the hobby of collecting paintings and works of art has begun to take shape. Each collector’s taste is different, but in general, most foreign collectors prefer traditional Vietnamese works of art such as lacquer and silk paintings.

There are also many collectors who prefer contemporary works with new thinking and award-winning works. Nguyen Huu Duc said: “If a work of art wants to “catch the eye” of collectors, it must meet the criteria of composition, colour, content and meaningful messages it conveys. The content must reflect the artist’s personality so as to make it stand out from others.

People who buy artworks do not make the purchase haphazardly or follow the crowd. Actually, they have to constantly enhance their knowledge, spend much more time to visit exhibitions at home and abroad, or museums around the world. Through approaching art and understanding more about the value of art, they can buy valuable artworks. Therefore, promoting or communicating art to the public is a process that cannot be achieved in one or two days”.

Painter Than Trong Dung, the Chairman of the Da Nang Fine Arts Association, who has many paintings bought by many collectors, said that each painting and art work has two accompanying and parallel values: cultural value and financial/investment value. The work does not have functional value but it brings experience to the viewer.

Works of art can also generate profit or be used to protect other types of assets. When looking at art collectors or art groups in Viet Nam, perhaps the most obvious thing is that they have become independent curators of their own collections.

Although the art collecting interest in Viet Nam is still small compared to other markets in the region such as Bangkok and Singapore, it has recently developed very rapidly. The number of exhibitions has been growing with diversity, and likewise, the number of audiences has also gone up rapidly, predicting a dynamic market in the future.

In addition, major auction houses have paid attention to Viet Nam, creating a more vibrant art market than ever. Although there have not been official commercial art auctions, this is still considered to be an important step forward for the art market. It is the beginning of a potential art market and it is also the reason why we should think about investing in art right now.

Easy access to art

Art is becoming more accessible to the public. It is not difficult for audiences to find information, through books, newspapers and social information channels. Artists and artworks are exchanged and discussed more vividly, opening up a perspective on the artistic and spiritual life of society.

The public can also participate in large-scale art exhibitions organised by the Da Nang Fine Arts Association or enjoy works at public museum systems, galleries or art spaces organised by private individuals. There, the flow of art seems to stir the love, and further, created the habit of enjoying art of a new class of audiences. Da Nang audiences are forming the habit of enjoying art in a positive and dynamic way, thereby promoting the need to collect. And they themselves are gradually becoming curators for their own art collections.

The exhibition ‘April Sunshine’ organised by the Da Nang Fine Arts Association this year is such a typical example. It was an opportunity for artists to meet meet, exchange, and express ideas. This was also an opportunity for those who love art to enjoy and feel the art of artists. The passion for beauty and appreciation for artists urge visitors here to create their own art collections.

Young artist Nguyen Huu Duc has been popular with the community of collectors when they accidentally saw his paintings on social networking sites. For example, in 2021, Duc received a call from a French collector of Vietnamese origin with the request that the painting had to depict the atmosphere of the heroic Nguyen Dynasty, the setting space of an afternoon, use a lot of gold materials to enhance the ancient and luxurious beauty of the Ngo Mon Gate, the main southern gate of the Hue Citadel. It took him about 8 - 9 months to complete the painting ‘Ngo Mon Hue’.

Quite good at trading in paintings, Pham Anh, 34, a member of the Da Nang Fine Arts Association confided that collectors often approach works through exhibitions, media channels and social networks. In early 2024, an Australian collector living in the capital city of Ha Noi, through social networks, expressed his desire to visit Anh’s studio. After the conversation, this collector decided to own the ‘Lap Phuong’ painted by Pham Anh.

Absence of curators

Artist Than Trong Dung acknowledged that the absence of curators to supervise and select works and artists participating in events makes the art market in Da Nang incomparable to markets like those in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City or many other places in the world. The role of curators is very important in bringing art to the public and accessing the market.

They are those who organise exhibitions, write criticism, connect artists with collectors, and serve as a bridge between art and the public, and also benefit from artists. The job of an artist is to practice art, simply focus on their work in the studio, whilst bringing the artist's works to the market and the public will be the job of the curator.

There are hundreds of paintings for sale, but artist Pham Anh still believes that Da Nang has not yet defined a market for buying, selling and exchanging works of art. There have been only commercial paintings for decorations at hotels and resorts.

Many people who hang paintings only care about their destiny and feng shui, forgetting the main factor: artistic value. There are still pure art exhibitions organised by the Da Nang Fine Arts Association or individuals and groups of artists every year, but there are almost no viewers, only people in the art world are interested in watching and congratulating the exhibition.

“I personally find that it is very difficult for artists in Da Nang to access the art market. They still have to work on their own. However, it is a need to launch a journey of persistent artistic creativity without giving up”, said artist Pham Anh.

Art brings beauty for viewers to contemplate and draw value as well as admire the creativity level and skills that go beyond the ordinary. And no matter what era, art is always an indispensable spiritual food, a healing medicine, something that brings indescribable emotions, giving people a feeling of relaxation and satisfaction. Artists not only need to have a strong passion but also a special talent, creating a feeling of excitement among the audience.

Reporting by KHANH HOA - Translating by A.THU