"Technique is only a necessary condition. Without emotion during the creation process, the sculpture will be very cold. Therefore, I always have to convey emotion through the form," sculptor Le Lang Luong confided about his sculpting, especially works named after President Ho Chi Minh.
To ensure this, Le Lang Luong doesn't chase after quantity; he only accepts commissions when he finds a way to express the essence. For Luong, a statue of President Ho Chi Minh must recreate the body, mind, and stature of the great leader, while simultaneously conveying the people's love and trust in their beloved Uncle Ho. It is this meticulousness from the very beginning that has led to the State's attention to Le Lang Luong's creations. The statues of Uncle Ho that he and his collaborators have been placed in many locations throughout the country.
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The "Ho Chi Minh in Tan Trao" monument in Tuyen Quang province. |
A prime example is the "Monument to President Ho Chi Minh with the Ethnic Groups of the Central Highlands," located in Dai Doan Ket Square ( Gia Lai province), completed in 2012. The statue, 10.8 meters high and placed on a 4.5-meter pedestal, is cast in pure copper and stands out prominently in the square. Behind it is a 600-square-meter, 58-meter-long, 12-meter-high blue stone bas-relief, stylized in the shape of lotus petals, vividly depicting the life and culture of the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands. To the right are 54 stone columns, approximately 3 meters high, arranged in a circle like a bundle of chopsticks, symbolizing unity; to the left is a 4-meter-high, 3-meter-wide granite slab inscribed with President Ho Chi Minh's heartfelt message to the people.
For any artist, the creative process isn't always smooth sailing, especially when trying to find a new way to express an old theme. Sculptor Le Lang Luong shared: "The hardest thing is to avoid repeating what has already been done. Statues of President Ho Chi Minh have been successfully created by many previous generations, so I had to find a different approach."
Drawing inspiration from that source, Le Lang Luong has persistently worked to complete the bronze statue "Uncle Ho in Tan Trao," standing 7.5 meters tall, scheduled for completion in 2025 and located in the Tan Trao National Special Historical Site (Tuyen Quang). Instead of choosing a familiar image of the leader during a glorious moment, the artist returned to a challenging historical period: July 1945 at the Na Nua hut, when Uncle Ho directly led and prepared for the general uprising. Despite being seriously ill and in declining health, he persevered, making strategic decisions that marked turning points in the nation's destiny. This historical moment became the emotional anchor for Le Lang Luong's work on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Tan Trao National Congress (1945-2025).
To portray that state, he relied not only on documents but also on fieldwork, listening to historical stories, and combining this with his imagination to find a suitable way of expression. The image of "Uncle Ke" in Tan Trao gradually emerged: a simple figure in an indigo shirt, a scarf draped over his shoulder, a thin frame but bright and resolute eyes. In this case, the sculpture not only depicts the form but also recreates a spirit. This shows that the work is special because it portrays the contrast between Uncle Ho's fragile physical condition and his unwavering revolutionary will.
Artist Luong Xuan Doan, President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, commented: “Sculptures depicting President Ho Chi Minh are currently undergoing remarkable changes. The projects are carefully selected for their themes and involve expert councils, thus improving their quality. In particular, the explorations of artists like Le Lang Luong contribute to adding new nuances to this subject matter, which is not easily innovated.”
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/bac-ho-trong-ngon-ngu-dieu-khac-thoi-nay-1040186
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