Le Dan - the person who uses calligraphy to paint pictures.

For over 20 years, Mr. Le Dan (70 years old) has painted hundreds of pictures on various themes: portraits, landscapes, the 12 zodiac animals, etc., using different materials. Notably, he uses the letters from song titles, character names, and lunar year names to create the shapes and forms of each artwork.

Mr. Dan gifted the author a portrait composed of letters - Photo: TRAN TUYEN

Drawing letters and shapes on stone

In a house filled with the sounds of children's voices in Ward 1, Quarter 5, Dong Ha City, Mr. Dan displays many paintings he has created on various materials such as stone, wood, and paper over the past 20 years. Although he has given away quite a few, he still keeps some as mementos. After briefly introducing the circumstances behind the creation of each painting, he told me about how he came to the art of painting with calligraphy.

Before liberation, Mr. Dan studied Vietnamese-Chinese Studies at the former Hue University of Literature. Due to circumstances at the time, the school was later dissolved, leaving him without further studies. After 1975, he worked as a bicycle repairman to make a living and care for his elderly mother in Dong Ha City. By 2000, his health deteriorated, so he gave up bicycle repair. Having a good understanding of Buddhism, he contributed articles to the Giac Ngo Newspaper, the Buddhist Culture Magazine, and several other newspapers and magazines. “During my time working with the Giac Ngo Newspaper, I had the opportunity to see a calligraphic painting by artist Chinh Van. Around the same time, artist Le Vu in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, became famous for his many works of portrait painting of historical figures and world cultural icons using calligraphy in the Khanh Hoa Newspaper. From that, I conceived the idea of ​​using calligraphy to paint,” Mr. Dan recounted.

Mr. Dan painted a portrait for an acquaintance using their full name - Photo: TRAN TUYEN

In 2002, he began researching and experimenting with painting on stones using letters. His first painting was a portrait of a young woman made from the letters of the song title "Diem Xua" (Ancient Beauty) on pebbles. From then on, he sought out beautifully shaped pebbles and diligently painted letters and shapes onto them at home. He mainly used the titles of timeless songs by the talented musician Trinh Cong Son to paint portraits of beautiful young women or portraits of his mother. "The painting I am most proud of is a portrait of Bodhidharma made from the letters of the song title 'Mot Coi Di Ve' (A Realm to Return To)."

"I gave this painting to a Buddhist monk in the province," Mr. Dan shared. In just a short time since engaging with this art form, he has painted nearly 100 works on stone. Mr. Dan doesn't prioritize money but believes in fate, so he happily gives away any painting that anyone likes, along with instructions to take good care of it, because it represents his dedication and passion.

Draw a portrait using the person's name.

When I arrived, Mr. Dan was diligently painting a portrait of an acquaintance using their full name. On a white background, he carefully used black ink to create soft, graceful lines. One had to be very observant to discern the letters hidden within each stroke, piecing together to form the complete picture. Each letter, each stroke, contributed to the overall composition of the painting.

Then, Mr. Dan paused and said to me, "After getting used to working with stone, I switched to painting on wood and paper. However, stone and wood aren't always readily available; it takes a lot of time to find and select them, so I gradually switched entirely to painting on paper. Besides painting portraits of young women, mothers, and Bodhidharma using the titles of Trinh Cong Son's songs, in 2011 I switched to painting the 12 zodiac animals, landscapes, and portraits."

For his paintings of the 12 zodiac animals, Mr. Dan uses the letters of the lunar year's name to "draw" the shape of the animal of that year. For example, for the year of the Monkey (Bính Thân), he draws the letters "Bính" and "Thân" to form the image of a monkey. For the year of the Rabbit (Quý Mão), he draws the letters "Quý" and "Mão" to form the image of a cat...

For landscape paintings, he also uses the letters from song titles to create images of lotus flowers or still life scenes. For portraits, he paints friends, relatives, or anyone who requests his painting, using their full names.

For Mr. Dan, each painting is a destined encounter - Photo: TRAN TUYEN

"To create a beautiful painting requires a certain talent. Painting with letters is even more difficult because you have to both sketch the idea for the painting and arrange the letters harmoniously and logically. So, what is the most important step in the art of using letters to paint, sir?" I wondered.

Mr. Dan slowly replied, "Before painting a subject or a portrait of someone, I have to spend time imagining and thinking about how to arrange the letters harmoniously and logically, ensuring there are no missing or superfluous strokes, and that the letters flow seamlessly together. The painting must capture the essence of the character. Only after I have visualized it in my head do I put pen to paper."

Recently, with the rise of social media, some people have become aware of Mr. Dan's paintings and contacted him to commission portraits. Not long ago, a woman in Ho Chi Minh City received a painting from him as a gift and was delighted to see her portrait, created from letters.

Later, this person proactively offered him a few million dong even though he hadn't named a price. For him, it was a stroke of luck. However, deep down, Mr. Dan still felt a little regretful because, despite having been around for over 20 years, the art of painting with calligraphy is still little known. What he hopes is that one day, the art of painting with calligraphy will develop and be understood by more people.

Tran Tuyen

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa-the-thao/le-dan-nguoi-dung-chu-ve-tranh/182455.htm