Functional, graceful, durable and economical

Recently, at the seminar "The life and career of painter Trinh Huu Ngoc - A special heritage of Indochina Fine Arts", attendees heard stories about his life, career, especially his design concepts, creating a special heritage of Indochina Fine Arts.

In 1938, artist Trinh Huu Ngoc opened the MÉMO 47 carpentry workshop at 47 Hang Dau with the wish that "anyone who has used his products will remember them forever". Since then, MÉMO 47's wooden products have become a famous brand at that time. Just over a year after its establishment, MÉMO workshop won the Silver Medal at the Indochina Exhibition in 1938-1939. MÉMO workshop's wooden products were trusted by many people, from art connoisseurs to the Governor General of Indochina. Later, the workshop was also assigned to carry out many important interior projects in the city hall and the Government office after 1954, when the Party Central Committee decided to leave the Viet Bac resistance base and return to the capital.

That success does not come from sophistication or luxury, but from a design concept that connects beauty with life. When the country entered the process of building socialism, his designs also reflected the breath of the new era. He believed that to be a decent person, one must live according to the viewpoint of the working people: “In the past, it was preferred to be sophisticated - especially - beautiful. Nowadays, fast - many - good - cheap, the majority of people can use - is beautiful" and "Making furniture must emphasize "usefulness, charm, durability and economy." Therefore, according to him, it is necessary to eliminate old habits in shopping and home decoration, such as: Displaying goods to show off wealth; displaying in a mixed way; valuing accessories over real life; confusing beauty with sophistication, mistaking economic ability with creative ability; mistaking simplicity with carelessness; old bottle, new wine.

Visitors view the exhibition at the seminar. Photo: LE NA

According to artist Trinh Huu Ngoc, beauty must require little labor, little wood, meet the needs of use, not too much, not too little; can be mass-produced while still ensuring aesthetics. In addition, the craftsman must go beyond the old, unreasonable to reach the new, reasonable, avoid conservatism, stereotypes or falling into formulas. With a simple but profound aesthetic concept, he has shaped a timeless design philosophy, where beauty does not lie in ostentation, but in the harmony between function, aesthetics and the personality of the creator.

The most important thing is to learn to be a good person.

The above concept not only shaped the design style of artist Trinh Huu Ngoc but also the way he looked at life and treated others: there is a superior and a subordinate, a first and a last, simple but sincere. Having gone through many difficulties and hardships since childhood, he always maintained an optimistic attitude, looking at life in a positive way. From 1964 to 1967, when Hanoi was wracked by bombs and bullets, his house was destroyed, many paintings, books, and furniture were severely damaged. However, instead of complaining, he and his son, artist Trinh Lu, picked up what was left to rebuild. He believed that the world started from nothing, we have what we do with. From hardship, he still found the beauty of life, a simple yet profound beauty, which became the foundation for his philosophy of life.

Portrait of painter Trinh Huu Ngoc.

According to painter Trinh Lu, his father's way of teaching his children was to teach them to work: "The house we lived in in the past, my father built like a workshop, without a luxurious living room, a fully furnished bedroom. My sisters and I also learned all kinds of jobs from woodworking, painting to weaving." Even though the family was well-off, he always taught his children to live simply, to value labor and to create value for themselves.

To his friends, he was a loyal and sincere person. He once confided to his son that if he was not honest and sincere, no one would play with him. In his life, he made friends with many great artists, intellectuals, and revolutionaries such as: Hoang Dao Thuy, Nguyen Huy Tuong, Quang Dung, Nhu The Bao, Tran Duy Hung... Sharing at the discussion, painter Ta Trong Tri, son of painter Ta Thuc Binh, a close brother of Mr. Ngoc, expressed his deep gratitude for the special feelings that the late painter had for his family.

To his students, he not only taught them how to draw and make beautiful furniture, but more importantly, he taught them how to be decent people, to appreciate hard work, and to live with love and meaning.

Interior products designed by artist Trinh Huu Ngoc are displayed at V ArtSpace. Photo: LE NA

Having devoted his whole life to art, painter Trinh Huu Ngoc has always been deeply grateful to the teachers who guided him and President Ho Chi Minh - the first person who recognized his talent. At his only exhibition, among countless works, there appeared images of painter Victor Tardieu, painter Nam Son and President Ho Chi Minh. Painter Trinh Huu Ngoc explained: "I became a painter thanks to teachers Tardieu and Nam Son, and Uncle Ho was the one who accepted me as a painter." It was also the first time in Vietnam that a former student of the Indochina College of Fine Arts publicly expressed his gratitude to two masters who played an extremely important role in the history of Vietnamese fine arts.

For him, design is not only the art of shapes and lines, but also the art of lifestyle, of personality and kindness, where beauty and goodness intersect.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/hoa-si-trinh-huu-ngoc-thiet-ke-la-nghe-thuat-cua-nep-song-943302