Using color to 'bring the horse into the painting'

QTO - For generations, horses have not only been loyal animals but also symbols of noble character, freedom, and a spirit of striving... Therefore, every Tet holiday, artists often diligently work at their easels, pouring all their energy into "reviving" the image of the magnificent horse. In Quang Tri, three like-minded souls have painstakingly "brought horses into paintings," creating a world full of aesthetic beauty: artist Nguyen Luong Sang, artist-lecturer Truong Dinh Dung, and highland teacher Le Quang Sang.

I developed a passion for horse paintings.

The new spring seems to have arrived early in the small attic of artist Nguyen Luong Sang (born in 1981), residing in Dong Hoi ward. Here, the space seems to be draped in a fairytale cloak with dozens of paintings of horses in various materials and colors. Each painting has its own unique beauty.

Mr. Sang is often called the "artist of the zodiac animals." Every Lunar New Year, he creates a series of zodiac animal paintings as a New Year's greeting. "I've painted many zodiac animals, but horses remain a special source of inspiration for me. When I paint, I feel like I'm returning to the Tet holidays of the past, coloring horses made from papier-mâché and clay with my grandfather," Mr. Sang recounts.

Artist Nguyen Luong Sang next to his painting of horses celebrating the new year - Photo: QH

About 100km south of artist Nguyen Luong Sang's small attic, the home of artist and lecturer at Quang Tri Teacher Training College, Truong Dinh Dung, is also filled with the colors of spring. In the late afternoon, even though it was past dinnertime, Mr. Dung was still engrossed in painting a horse. Under the talented artist's hand, the brush glided swiftly, shaping the horse's tail and mane, then creating volume and form. A majestic, galloping horse gradually emerged. Mr. Dung shared: "I was born in the year of the Rabbit, but I possess the spirit of a horse. I love the freedom, independence, and romantic nature of this animal. Painting horses is my way of confronting and finding my true self."

Unlike his two predecessors, Mr. Le Quang Sang (born in 1990), a teacher at Ta Long Primary School in Dakrong commune, spends his days painting horses. Currently, his collection includes hundreds of horse paintings. For Mr. Sang, happiness lies in embarking on an emotional journey on paper. Some nights, he wakes up, searching for his paintbrushes after dreaming of a magnificent horse emerging from a fairy tale. Then, when the rooster crows at dawn, dispelling the mountain mist, a new work of art is born. Mr. Sang believes: "For me, painting horses is a form of meditation."

Despite differences in age and background, Nguyen Luong Sang, Truong Dinh Dung, and Le Quang Sang share a pure love for horses. They see in horses the qualities of a gentleman. For them, each painting of a horse is not just an arrangement of colors, but also a depth of soul. Each strives to paint "purely Vietnamese" horses, imbuing them with their aspirations and dreams.

Leaving a mark in the painting.

Drawing horses is both easy and difficult. Simply depicting a horse's likeness is straightforward because its form is already beautiful. However, creating an impressive image that clearly captures the horse's spirit is very challenging. Not every artist possesses the composure to convey personal feelings or life lessons through horse paintings. Therefore, while the art scene in Quang Tri province has no shortage of horse painters, very few have left a lasting mark.

For Truong Dinh Dung, each painting of a horse stems from intense emotion. During his years studying in China, he became fascinated by the legends of horse loyalty. These included the story of Red Hare starving itself to death following Guan Yu, or Di Lu, who, despite being accused of treason, charged forward to save Liu Bei in his time of need. Dung concludes: “I believe that painting horses is painting people, painting the emotions between humankind. The most difficult part lies precisely in that. Some paintings take me almost a month to complete, only to be abandoned later.”

Artist Truong Dinh Dung dedicates much of his passion to painting horses - Photo: QH

From another perspective, artist Nguyen Luong Sang believes that to create a painting of a horse, the artist needs a keen eye. Therefore, Sang often studies the anatomy of horses in great depth, and their lively nature. From this, his brushstrokes create bold and expressive forms. "I have studied a lot to be able to observe well. But that's not enough; to paint horses well, you also need 'spirit,' only when you pour all your energy into the brush will the painting turn out as you wish," Sang revealed.

Understanding the difficulty of painting horses, for many years, teacher Le Quang Sang focused on learning from other artists and especially observing and studying the activities of magnificent horses. Wherever he went, he tried to meet and see rare horse breeds firsthand. From this, the teacher from the highlands gained a thorough understanding of the physique, temperament, and behavioral patterns of horses. As a result, his paintings are often very vivid. Teacher Sang said: "I also experienced clumsy brushstrokes, and was once frustrated because I felt my paintings lacked soul… But it was these shortcomings that helped me change and improve myself."

Bringing spring to every home.

For artists like Nguyen Luong Sang, Truong Dinh Dung, and Le Quang Sang, each painting of a magnificent horse is a spiritual child. Therefore, the moment these horses leave the studio to reach art lovers brings mixed feelings of joy and sadness. But they understand that the mission of beauty is not to be buried in dark corners or opulent mansions, but to be present in real life, spreading positive energy to every home.

Teacher Le Quang Sang reminisced about his "close friend"—a person who owned an entire collection of horse paintings but still sought him out every Tet (Lunar New Year). This person chose horse paintings not only to decorate their home but also to find tranquility, borrowing the powerful spirit of this zodiac animal to help them calmly overcome difficulties and challenges. This shared passion fueled the teacher's passion for art, inspiring him and many others, especially his students, to further ignite their artistic dreams. "I am happy to see my students admire my horse paintings and share their aspirations to become artists," Mr. Sang confided.

For teacher Le Quang Sang, each painting of a horse is a priceless spiritual child - Photo: QH

Similarly, the brand of zodiac paintings, including horse paintings by artists Nguyen Luong Sang and Truong Dinh Dung, has long been established. Not constrained by rigid forms, their paintings are full of freedom and naturalness. Each horse appears with a distinct personality, sometimes proudly riding alone, other times harmoniously mingling with a herd in the wild. The horses' hooves seem to soar through space, reaching for truth, goodness, and beauty. Therefore, for many, the moment they hang a new horse painting by these two talented artists in their living room is also the moment Tet (Vietnamese New Year) arrives.

Looking at the horse paintings by these artists, many people not only clearly perceive the beauty with their eyes but also seem to absorb it deeply into their souls, hearing the clatter of hooves, the melodious neighing… This is the meaningful gift that these artists—those who meticulously "use color to bring horses into paintings"—send to life, along with their New Year's greetings.

Quang Hiep

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202602/dung-mau-dan-ngua-vao-tranh-dd9713a/