Painter Trinh Tu and the colorful, sound-filled faces of the world

Late painter Trinh Tu. Photo: Family provided

The book “Painter Trinh Tu and the Story of Form and Color” was collected by his family, synthesizing hundreds of articles published in newspapers from 1997 until before his death (August 2022). The book with 3 parts of content has painted the faces of the world and the whole world with distinct colors and languages, both soaring and concise, both talented and knowledgeable.

In Part I, dedicated to “Fine Arts”, there are a series of articles about portraits of famous artists, exhibitions that moved artists, and stories about modern and contemporary art.

Reading “Painter Trinh Tu and the Story of Shapes and Colors” one can see his great love for fine arts, for his friends, and for his characters. Each page of the book opens up the author’s vast, colorful, and emotional world of fine arts with a language as beautiful as a painting. His language is filled with knowledge, understanding, and yet soaring, romantic, and rich in color.

In the article “Nguyen Khanh Toan’s Paintings in Macedonia”, artist Trinh Tu wrote: “Nguyen Khanh Toan’s paintings are a unique voice, ethereal, floating on the background of earthly truth, full of sound...”.

Trinh Tu uses all his senses to perceive art. He not only looks, feels the colors, and reflects on his emotions, but he also hears the sounds, rhythms, and echoes of time and history when facing and admiring a work of art.

The influence, the impact of the times, of life, of events in the journey of life - the authors all clearly show in their works - and Trinh Tu captures it in a subtle and knowledgeable way when writing portraits of the author and the work.

“...He created for himself a colorful world rich enough to dream in his loneliness. There, there are stories of a child bewildered by the absurdity of adults, stories of love, of human destiny... All are raised from the pure cultural flow of his hometown's rice-growing region, where he has been immersed since childhood...” - Trinh Tu wrote about Nguyen Khanh Toan.

Trinh Tu writes about the author in his understanding of the person, their origin, their life, their loneliness, or their sadness. Writing about the work, artist Trinh Tu places the work in the flow, the collision of life and the times.

With each article by artist Trinh Tu, fine art is viewed in the breadth of history and depth of culture.

Not only writing about famous painters like Nguyen Sang, Bui Xuan Phai... Painter Trinh Tu also researches and appreciates later generation painters like Dao Hai Phong.

Dao Hai Phong's paintings are described as sparkling with sound and memories in Trinh Tu's appreciation. "... The artist knew how to start from that absurd convention to come to a painting space of his own, where colors no longer stop at the eyes. They are filled with sounds from the mind, from memories, sparkling on the bushes, the grass..." - Trinh Tu wrote about Dao Hai Phong's paintings.

When Trinh Tu sketches the portrait of his work, the author uses language as beautiful and delicate as when he paints. Trinh Tu's language is elegant, knowledgeable, and gallant like him. He is delicate when he realizes "a life of painting moves slowly on each painting over the years".

In 2013, he wrote an article about the famous painter Nguyen Sang - author of two famous works recognized as national treasures, including "Party Admission in Dien Bien Phu" and "Thanh Nien Thanh Dong".

The artist painted Nguyen Sang's portrait in a simple, rustic style, but deeply felt Nguyen Sang's soul, life, and every habit.

Every word of Trinh Tu seems to be careful, silently expressing his appreciation and respect for the character, for the authentic painting that they - the painters have built together through each generation. When writing about Nguyen Sang's last painting called "Universe" - lacquer material.

Painter Trinh Tu wrote, "The painting called Universe seems to signal a premonition that has formed deep in his mind about the end of a long journey...".

A few years after that painting, Nguyen Sang passed away. Artist Trinh Tu left this world in August 2022.

They are now like white clouds in the sky. In another world, they will again discuss painting and fine arts together, creating together with all the passion and preciousness.

Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/hoa-si-trinh-tu-va-nhung-guong-mat-tran-gian-day-mau-sac-am-thanh-1358544.ldo