Over the past years, the fine arts of Vinh Long have had a proud journey of development, constantly striving to contribute to preserving Vietnamese cultural identity. The 74th anniversary of the Traditional Day of Vietnamese Fine Arts (December 10, 1951 - December 10, 2025) is a special milestone, reflecting gratitude and honoring creativity, and demonstrating the connection between generations of artists.
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| The art of Vinh Long is rich in genre and form, easily resonating with the public. |
Enriching the spiritual life of the people.
According to Mr. Tran Van Thang, Vice President of the Literature and Arts Association, the Fine Arts branch has a total of 92 members, including 29 members of the Central Committee.
In the nation's history of building and defending the country, alongside art forms such as literature, poetry, music, theater, and photography, the role of fine arts is extremely important, contributing to making Vietnamese art even more radiant.
The passion for the craft passed down from previous generations continues to be inherited and burns brightly in the hearts of today's art community through the works of young artists.
Recalling the artistic traditions of Vinh Long, Mr. Tran Van Thang shared that in 1963, the Central Propaganda Department of the Southern Region established the Liberation Painting Department.
This is a training center for painters from the southern provinces, from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau, and a gathering place for painters and sculptors from both the North and South, with support from artists from the North.
Among them were two sons of Vinh Long: painter Huynh Quoc Trong and sculptor Nguyen Thai Binh (both trained at the Kiev University of Fine Arts, former Soviet Union). After graduating and returning to Vietnam, they volunteered to fight in the South, working alongside artists from the southern provinces on the front lines of propaganda and mobilization for the resistance war against the US to save the country.
In addition to the Liberation Painting Room, the Propaganda Department of the Southwestern Region also opened painting training classes for provinces in the region.
Painting classes were opened in Ca Mau and Ben Tre provinces, contributing to the training of painters to serve the resistance. These artists were present on the battlefields, following army units into campaigns, creating and exhibiting paintings right on the battlefield, and painting banners and slogans to encourage the resistance.
In addition, the artist was also assigned to design and illustrate for provincial newspapers and magazines such as the Liberation Trumpet Newspaper (later renamed the Victory Newspaper, the predecessor of today's Vinh Long Newspaper); the People's Literature and Arts journal (later renamed the Land of Steel Literature and Arts, the predecessor of today's Cuu Long Literature and Arts magazine), and Tra Vinh's Red Fire Literature and Arts...
Following the victory of April 30, 1975, liberating the South and unifying the country, along with the army advancing to liberate Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and Ben Tre, they took over the enemy's cultural facilities and immediately began the work of stabilizing social order.
Simultaneously, they propagated the Party's guidelines and policies, built a new type of person, and combated the decadent and reactionary cultural remnants of the old regime, while also gathering and developing a force of skilled painters living in the newly liberated areas.
Vinh Long boasts renowned painters and sculptors such as: Le Van Mau, Vu Ba, Le Phuc, Tran Minh Thai, Hua Van Chien, Ta Thi Anh Hong, Nguyen Luu, Dang Can, Lam Chieu Dong… Ben Tre has many painters and sculptors such as: Nguyen Hoang, Le Van, Ca Le Thang, Truong Cham, Tran Thi Chuc, Nguyen Huu Thien, Le Thi Tham... Prominent painters and sculptors in Tra Vinh include: Lieu Tu Phong, Huynh Thanh Son, Nguyen Nhan, Thach Boi, Phan Tien, Thach Vu Phu Hao…
From 2016 onwards, along with a number of teachers trained in fine arts pedagogy, there have also been amateur art practitioners working in various units, localities, schools, and some artisans from the Khmer ethnic minority... who have contributed to enriching the cultural and spiritual life in urban areas and communities, especially in ethnic minority regions.
Spreading the beauty of the land and people of Vinh Long.
Over the past period, artists have actively participated in art exhibitions in the province, the Mekong Delta region, and national exhibitions. Many artists have had their works selected for display and won high awards.
In addition, the artists participated in creative camps, professional training, and field trips on topics such as rural development, the sea, islands, and borders, creating many high-quality works for investment and thematic exhibitions. The artists have upheld the tradition of solidarity, enthusiastically engaged in creative artistic work, and passionately dedicated themselves to contributing to the arts.
According to Dr. Trinh Hong Lanh, Head of the Industrial Fine Arts Department at Cuu Long University: The province's fine arts have undergone positive changes in the region and are gradually asserting their position by exploiting the elements derived from a land rich in patriotic traditions, where people live together in harmony, and the homeland of nine rivers, with abundant trees and sweet fruits.
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| These works contribute to enriching the spiritual life of the people. |
The artists in Vinh Long have diverse styles of creation, which has enriched the art scene in terms of genre and form, making it easily accessible to the public. Works depicting the land and people of Vinh Long appear simple, familiar, rustic, and lyrical. This is the greatest achievement in terms of artistic style and form during the integration period of the province.
Dr. Trinh Hong Lanh believes that the 4.0 era has been and is changing all related aspects of life in a positive way, especially with the emergence of AI technology, which will powerfully change the world in the future.
However, in the field of art, it is difficult to replace it, because art must be created by the hands and mind of the artist, expressing their thoughts, feelings, and genuine emotions—something no modern machine can do.
Regarding future activities, Mr. Tran Van Thang, Vice Chairman of the Association of Literature and Arts, said that the association will promote the creation and dissemination of works to the public about the land and people of Vinh Long province - a land of outstanding people and rich history, cultural relics, prominent figures, beautiful natural landscapes, and distinctive traditional craft villages…
The team of artists needs to uphold a high sense of responsibility, overcome limitations in their creative work, and while creating their own unique identities, they must also harmonize with the overall development of the national fine arts industry, striving to produce high-quality works in terms of both thought and artistry.
In addition, an important task is to create a pool of qualified and capable successor members, diversifying creative genres and contributing to enriching the art life of the province and other provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region.
Text and photos: PHUONG THU
Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202512/my-thuat-to-sang-buc-tranh-van-nghe-tinh-nha-5e74489/
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