Meet the author of the Monument to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers

Painter and sculptor Dinh Gia Thang was born in 1957, a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. After graduating from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts, he lived and worked in Da Nang. During many years of working in the arts, in the field of sculpture alone, Dinh Gia Thang has had many valuable works made in many localities across the country... Among them, the Monument to the Heroic Vietnamese Mother is the largest and most meaningful work, admired by audiences at home and abroad.

Painter and sculptor Dinh Gia Thang next to the model statue of the Monument to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers. Photo: Gia Lai Newspaper

Painter and sculptor Dinh Gia Thang - who has just been awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts for his work on the Monumental Complex of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers - shared with Da Nang Weekend about his creative process.

* It is known that you are the only sculptor from Quang Nam and Da Nang to be awarded the State Prize for your work Monument to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers. Can you express your feelings about this honor?

- This award ceremony will be held on May 19, 2023, which is the 133rd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday. This makes the award ceremony even more solemn and meaningful.

The award organizers have prepared very carefully. Compared to previous times, this time the image of each honored author stands out on the stage, showing the Party and State's respect for the contributions and dedication of artists to the country's culture.

The award is the recognition of the Party and State for the Monument to the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, which I have devoted my heart, mind and emotions to for nearly 10 years to complete this great work. The award has contributed to motivating me to continue to create more. However, the most important and meaningful gift for me is that since its inauguration on March 24, 2015, the work has welcomed millions of visitors, hundreds of thousands of opinions expressing respect and gratitude for the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers as well as the impression of the public at home and abroad on the beauty of this work. Many people have also invested in making many quality videos, posting them on social networks, contributing to making Tam Ky city an attractive destination in the Central region.

* In the process of sketching the Monument to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, how did you approach the real model of Mother Thu?

- During the process of sketching the Monument to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, I met Mother Nguyen Thi Thu in person in 2005. Then, at the end of 2010, I often sat silently beside Mother during her treatment at Da Nang C Hospital until she passed away. Every time I visited Mother, she was very happy. I often held her hand and listened to her tell stories about the fields, about the harvest, and listened to her sing the song "Ho Thuy Tu"... I felt the simple, rustic, kind, but truly great beauty of the woman who had contributed many heroic children to the Fatherland.

* During the process of making the Monument to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and then the monument complex, what difficulties did you experience?
- The difficulties in the process of carrying out this project are probably countless, from storm No. 9 (2009)... to many other objective and subjective difficulties that created a lot of pressure for the author, but fortunately, I always felt protected and encouraged by the heroic Vietnamese Mothers. Besides, I kept the flow of emotions about the Grandmothers and Mothers from the time of sketching until the project was completed perfectly.

* After the success of the monument complex project, do you plan to pursue any other projects?

- After the success of the Vietnamese Heroic Mother Monument complex, I continued to complete a number of sculptures with gentle themes such as: "Musician Phan Huynh Dieu - The Writer of Love Songs", "Late Autumn"... Besides, I also cherish many sculptures and paintings that will be launched in a solo exhibition at the end of 2025.

* Once again, congratulations to painter and sculptor Dinh Gia Thang. I hope he continues to achieve many successes in the future.

The complex of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers Monument is 7km from Tam Ky city center and 45km from Hoi An city. This is a project to pay tribute to and commemorate Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, those who have devoted and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. This is the place to record the names of more than 100,000 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers across the country and preserve artifacts, images, and documents associated with the hard-working and sacrificial lives of the Mothers.
The project was built on a 15-hectare plot of land. The highlight of the project is the Monument to the Heroic Vietnamese Mother, modeled after Mother Nguyen Thi Thu (1904-2010). She was born in Rung hamlet, Dien Thang Trung commune, Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province. She was the one with the most children and grandchildren who sacrificed their lives in the two resistance wars against France and America: 9 sons, 1 son-in-law and 2 grandchildren. This is a national cultural project, the largest monument to the Heroic Vietnamese Mother in our country to date.

TRAN TRUNG SANG

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