People in the countryside rarely have the chance to encounter fine arts, but villagers in Phuc Duc have been lucky; residents there have the chance to enjoy works by famous painters thanks to painter and collector Phan Thi Ngoc My.
Little by little, after 20 years of collecting, My opened a private museum, the first in Viet Nam. It is located at the foot of Sai Son Mountain, in Quoc Oai District, 30km southwest of downtown Ha Noi. This is the area where the Thay Pagoda was built in the 11th century during the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong.
Her museum, which shares her name, has thousands of paintings, ceramic items and fine art handicrafts. Along with the paintings and items she has collected, the museum also introduces many pieces done by the painter herself.
At present, she owns many pictures from three generations of painters: Painters who graduated from the Fine Arts College of Indochina (1925-1945) such as Nguyen Gia Tri, Luu Van Sin, Tran Quang Tran, Pham Hau, Nguyen Do Cung, and Hoang Lap Ngon; painters who graduated from the Fine Arts School of Viet Bac resistance zone (1950-1953) such as Luu Cong Nhan, Tran Luu Hau, Linh Chi and Le Huy Hoa; and painters from the Fine Arts College of Viet Nam (1955-1984) such as Nguyen Thu, Sy Tot, Tran Khanh Chuong and Truong Be.
“I came across My’s museum by chance. I was really surprised because the paintings were displayed very systematically according to different historical periods. Few people can do that,” said Ngoc Linh, a museum visitor.
My’s innate understanding of painting helped her amass a collection of valuable pictures using the Vietnamese concept of qui ho tinh bat quy ho da (Value resides in quality, not quantity).
“In the 1980s, when finding enough food was difficult, I began collecting paintings and antiques. Sometimes, I had to sell a house to buy valuable paintings,” said My.
Last June, Japanese collector Toykichi Itoh presented several paintings to the museum that had previously been praised and exhibited at museums in Japan.
Painter Tran Khanh Chuong, chairman of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association, said “In the doi moi (renewal) process, our State allowed private collections to become private museums, and My established the nation’s first. Visitors can see many works from different angles. I know that My collected many things, especially paintings from 1930-1940, and from the period’s of resistance war against the Americans and the French. It’s a precious collection.”
My is a 6th generation descendant of famous Confucian scholar Phan Huy Ich. Since childhood, she has lived in a literary and artistic environment where she learnt to draw on her own.
Improved
 |
My explores and exploit landscapes and still lifes without following a set formula so her paintings have soul. |
On her fine arts path, My’s strong will always helped her study on her own. Her ability to paint blossomed and improved over time. She valued the paintings she collected and learned about art by studying works by modern artists such as Nam Son, Nguyen Gia Tri, To Ngoc Van, Tran Van Can, Luu Van Sin, Nguyen Tu Nghiem and Bui Xuan Phai.
With her deep love and affection for the homeland, My has spent a lot of time to create oil paintings featuring it. She paints historical monuments and beautiful spots with traditional natural scenes.
My tends to explore and exploit landscapes and still-lifes to represent natural scenery and human beings. Sometimes, she uses contrasting colours, but her strokes are still strong. Thanks to this, My seems to escape from the confines of reality to satisfy her strong feelings for colourful natural scenes.
“My draws landscapes and people with real emotion. She doesn’t follow a set formula, so her paintings stay natural, true to life and jubilant with the colour of a soul loving life,” said painter Pham Van Don.
Her paintings May Trang Xu Doai (White clouds in Xu Doai) and Ve Voi Thien Nhien (Coming to nature) use vivid greens for grass and trees and a loud blue for the water to portray scenes from her childhood.
In the paintings Thuy Dinh (Water pavilion of Thay Pagoda) and Chua Thay (Thay Pagoda) viewers can see the changing history, ancient architecture and the beauty that has absorbed the minds of many generations in a variety of colours. The pieces show her deep feelings and affection for the pagoda.
My has also featured Ha Noi in some of her works, such as Hoa Loc Vung (Loc Vung flower), Ben Ho Hoan Kiem (by Hoan Kiem Lake), and Ho Tay (West Lake). In a modern style, she tries to create and find ways to represent things differently to evoke feeling.
My has produced many paintings for annual Ha Noi Fine Arts Association exhibitions. She has also held individual exhibitions and shown special pieces from her modern collection in Viet Nam.
“In 1999, I thought about returning to my native village, Phuc Duc to hold an exhibition about Thay Pagoda. I called it Chua Thay va Phong Canh Con Nguoi Sai Son (Thay Pagoda, landscapes and people in Sai Son). Many people attended, especially farmers,” said My.
Since then, My has held many exhibitions for people in smaller localities and remote areas. Fine arts are not only for the big cities, but villages as well.
“Paintings for me in particular and for Phuc Duc villagers in general are very strange. However, since My’s museum opened, we have had the chance to see outstanding works of art by famous painters. Paintings show us another world, and through them we feel glad and enjoy life,” said Nguyen Thu Thuy, a village resident.
My’s museum doesn’t cut visitors off from fine arts. Her pieces focus on society and universality, which are gradually taking the upper hand in the global sphere. Moreover, her collection helps villagers approach fine art living in particular and a living art culture in general. It is My’s heart and love for the land where she grew up.
She is currently a member of the Ha Noi Fine Arts Association, deputy director of the UNESCO Art and Environment Centre and a member of the Xu Doai Letters and Arts Club.
VietNamNet/VNS
No comments:
Post a Comment