Preserving Ede culture through paintings.

Born and raised in Bau village, Song Hinh commune, artist Kpa Ty has been passionate about drawing since childhood, capturing images of his village, mountains, forests, and the people around him. This passion led him to become one of the first ethnic minority artists in the former Phu Yen province.

As a child, Kpă Tý often drew on the ground, on pieces of wood, and even on tree bark using charcoal. Later, he drew on paper with pencils, crayons, and watercolors. Deeply connected to village life, the mountains and forests of Sông Hinh, and the gong festivals, new rice harvest festivals, housewarming ceremonies, and funeral rites, he recorded the daily activities around him in his paintings. He said, "I draw whatever I like. I draw because it makes me happy, because I want to preserve the images of village life and my childhood memories."

In 2006, after finishing high school, Kpă Tý stayed home to help his family with farming and started drawing on his own. In 2011, he passed the entrance exam to study painting at the University of Arts ( Hue University). In 2015, Kpă Tý graduated from the University of Fine Arts and began his journey as a true artist.

Artist Kpă Tý has completed a work to participate in the 2025 Southern Central Highlands regional exhibition.

As a member of an ethnic minority pursuing professional art, Kpă Tý's path has never been smooth. He proves that ethnic minorities are not only cultural subjects for others to explore , but they can also tell their own stories and share their culture through the visual language of their drawings.

Artist Vo Tinh, Head of the Fine Arts Branch of Phu Yen Province (Phu Yen Provincial Association of Literature and Arts), commented: “Having received formal training in fine arts, despite difficult circumstances, artist Kpa Ty has always been passionate about creating art. His works have won high awards at the provincial level and have been selected by the Art Council of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association for exhibition at the Southern Central and Central Highlands regional fine arts exhibition. Notably, his works are included in a collection of paintings by Chungbuk - South Korea.”

Kpă Tý's paintings have their own unique characteristics. Instead of following the Western style with its elaborate lighting techniques or modern composition, Kpă Tý focuses on depicting everyday life, culture, customs, and traditions of the Êđê people, combining folk symbolism with personal emotion. Every brushstroke and every color in his paintings breathes the spirit of the mountainous Sông Hinh region.

Kpă Tý skillfully incorporates images of Êđê grandmothers and mothers, traditional village festivals, fields, forests, and herds of cattle into his paintings, helping viewers better understand the spiritual life of the Êđê community. Besides cultural themes, Kpă Tý is also passionate about painting landscapes, capturing the majestic and poetic beauty of the Sông Hinh mountains and forests. From cascading waterfalls to vast forests, from sunsets painting the hills red to clear, winding streams… all are depicted with vibrant colors and free-flowing lines, expressing his love for his homeland. Kpă Tý's artistic philosophy is not to create to cater to market tastes. "I only paint what I feel – about a simple, profound, yet vibrant mountainous homeland," Kpă Tý shared.

The artwork is titled "Celebrating the New House".

One of Kpă Tý's most impressive works is the painting "Celebrating Coming of Age." He painted this piece over a month and submitted it to the provincial competition in December 2019, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of Phú Yên province (1989-2019). It won first prize from the judging panel. Artist Võ Tĩnh commented: "The work depicts a sacred moment in the life of every ethnic minority person, vividly portraying traditional rituals where young people are recognized as adults, responsible to their families and villages. Through simple, authentic brushstrokes, the painting not only recreates local culture but also conveys pride and gratitude for their roots and ethnic traditions."

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202508/gin-giu-van-hoa-ede-qua-tranh-ve-2bf0462/