"The leading bird" of Central Highlands fine arts

In the modern Vietnamese art stream, there are many works imbued with epic tones, reflecting community life and the indomitable spirit of ethnic people...

In the flow of modern Vietnamese art, there are many works with strong epic tones, reflecting the community life and indomitable spirit of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. When mentioning fine arts, it is impossible not to mention painter Xu Man, who is considered the "leading bird" of fine arts in the great land.

Painter Xu Man, whose real name is Siu Dong, was born in 1925 in De Krăl village (now Plei Bong, Ayun commune, Gia Lai province), and passed away in 2007. His life was full of hardships, with his parents dying early and his childhood being miserable, having to work as a porter for the village chief. But it was from that poor land that nurtured in him the will and aspiration to rise up.

When the revolution broke out in 1954, the young man with a soul soaring in the mountains and forests of the Central Highlands found his way. He joined the resistance, carrying with him the heart of an artist and a steadfast belief in the ideal of national independence. After that, he was sent to Hanoi to study at the Vietnam Fine Arts University.

During his years of training in the Capital, artist Xu Man had the opportunity to meet President Ho Chi Minh . The simple image and profound advice of Uncle Ho became the light that illuminated him. And then, throughout his painting career, the image of the President was always present in his works as a sacred symbol, closely associated with the mountains and forests and the people of the Central Highlands.

In 1960, returning to the Central Highlands after a period of studying and working, artist Xu Man immersed himself in the rhythm of mountain and forest life, both fulfilling revolutionary duties and diligently creating. On each canvas, he expressed his passionate love for the village, the great forest, Uncle Ho and the people of the Central Highlands.

Thousands of paintings were born like epic poems in colors, telling stories about community life, about the indomitable spirit in combat, about the beliefs and aspirations of the people here. Xu Man's paintings are imbued with epic qualities, imbued with Ba Na cultural identity. Among the typical works, we can mention "Uncle Ho with love for the Central Highlands", "Festival in the Central Highlands", "Dawn on the Central Highlands mountains and forests", "Central Highlands people celebrate the 4th Party Congress" ...

Painter Xu Man won the A Prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition (1976 and 1980), and was the first painter from the Central Highlands to be awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, term II, and Vice President of the Gia Lai Literature and Arts Association, term I. His paintings are currently kept at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum, the Military Zone 5 Museum, and many private collections at home and abroad.

In particular, the image of Uncle Ho in Xu Man's paintings is not only the artist's own memory, but also a transformation into the common feelings of the Central Highlands people for Uncle Ho, a sacred, profound feeling that he depicts with all his respect and pride.

Professor, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Tien, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association, commented that Xu Man's paintings are a testament to the strong vitality of Central Highlands art in the flow of modern Vietnamese fine arts. Each work is like a colorful epic, recreating community life, the desire for freedom and the indomitable spirit of the ethnic people.

It is the harmonious combination of modern visual language with traditional cultural materials that has helped Xu Man paintings go beyond the local scope, becoming an important part of the national fine arts treasure. Paintings about Uncle Ho, about villages, and festivals in the Central Highlands have contributed to nurturing patriotism, arousing national pride and creating a unique identity for Vietnamese fine arts in the modernization period.

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thi Anh Thu, Director of the Military Region 5 Museum, said that the painting "The Central Highlands People Uprising to Seize Power in the August Revolution of 1945" by artist Xu Man at the Military Region 5 Museum is considered a "historical witness" in color, recreating the seething revolutionary atmosphere and strong uprising spirit of the Central Highlands people in the historic autumn days.

According to Deputy Director of the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Thi Thu Huong, the department will research and implement within its authority; at the same time, it will recommend including content about the life and career of painter Xu Man in the local education program to help the young generation better understand a great talent of the Central Highlands fine arts, contributing to nurturing national pride, arousing love for the homeland and awareness of preserving cultural identity.

QUOC THAI

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/canh-chim-dau-dan-cua-my-thuat-tay-nguyen-408240.html