I am happy to be a "bridge" connecting Vietnamese culture to a wider audience.
Reporter: Ms. Van Duong Thanh, let's begin with the title "Ambassador of Vietnamese Culture" that many friends both domestically and internationally have bestowed upon you. In today's integrated world , a nation that wants to spread its cultural values to the world cannot do without individuals who act as bridges. From your perspective, how do you feel about this?
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Female artist Duong Van Thanh. |
Artist Van Duong Thanh: As an artist, I always strive to contribute as much as possible to bringing Vietnamese culture to the world. Each art form has its own unique characteristics, and the advantage of painting is that it easily touches the hearts of viewers. Painting can tell a great deal about the history and culture of a nation. Through painting, I have had the opportunity to meet and connect with many famous figures around the world, politicians, diplomats , and businesspeople from both within and outside the country, helping them to understand Vietnamese culture more deeply. I am very happy to be a "bridge" to spread the values of Vietnamese culture far and wide.
Reporter: Having lived abroad for many years and then returned, how do you view the role of traditional culture in each country in today's integrated world?
Artist Van Duong Thanh: The more I travel and interact with people, the more I realize how precious our traditional culture is. Furthermore, our country is culturally diverse, with many ethnic minorities possessing unique cultural characteristics. National culture is reflected in the artworks created by artists. We bring art to the world to tell the world something about Vietnamese culture. For example, artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem simply incorporated the simple images of Vietnamese farmers into his paintings, yet they became great works. In my opinion, every Vietnamese person should be aware that traditional culture is a readily available "gold mine" for us to exploit. To go far, we must deeply embrace our national culture.
Reporter: 2025 was a year of many significant events, and artist Van Duong Thanh was also present at many important events that left a strong mark on the country's diplomatic achievements. Personally, I was very impressed with your painting titled "In the Operating Room," which was displayed at the "Children of the Fatherland" exhibition on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the nation. Could you tell us more about this painting?
Artist Van Duong Thanh: When I first graduated, I worked for Professor Ton That Tung, helping him draw pathological models. I followed him every day, mostly in the hospital. Every night, many wounded soldiers were brought in. In the dark bunkers, doctors performed surgeries on wounded soldiers calmly and precisely amidst the flashes of bombs and bullets…
Witnessing such stories deeply moved me, and I painted the picture "In the Slaughterhouse." This painting has been included in the collection of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. I believe that the painting itself tells the story, allowing each viewer, especially young people, to better understand and appreciate the past, and cherish what they have today.
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The female artist's artwork depicts spring. |
The joy of giving
Reporter: In your youth, you had the opportunity to meet, live near, and work with famous Vietnamese painters such as Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Sang… Such a beginning is not something everyone gets; do you consider that fortunate?
Painter Van Duong Thanh: Yes, it's truly a stroke of luck that's not easily found. I'm the child of a Southern cadre, and I followed my father to the North during the regrouping period. My father passed away early, and I attended boarding school. Because I missed him, I took up drawing. Those initial, clumsy drawings led me to the Fine Arts School. I was trained by masters and soon became close to great artists of the country such as the renowned painters Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Sang, the musician Van Cao, and the writer Nguyen Hong… Through conversations about art and everyday life with these masters, I gained a lot of knowledge, experience, and especially the heartfelt connection of an artist.
Reporter: How did famous painters celebrate the Lunar New Year back then? Could painter Van Duong Thanh share some of the memories she still cherishes?
Artist Van Duong Thanh: On the first day of the new year, renowned painters would begin their work by painting the zodiac animal of that year and then giving the paintings to each other. They exchanged paintings with great humility and respect. I learned this custom from the masters of painting on the first day of spring. Every year, I paint a picture on the first day of the new year, whether I am in Vietnam or abroad. In Europe, sometimes when the window was covered in white snow, I would sit in my room stretching out my canvas to paint banana leaves, a pond bridge… The Tet holiday of the past, though lacking in material comforts, was always full of family affection. On a cold day, sitting with renowned painters, admiring the peach blossoms, drinking some wine, and savoring Tet sweets was wonderful. Many famous works by artists like Mr. Phai, Mr. Nghiem, and Mr. Sang were born during such warm Tet days.
Reporter: A very important keyword in your career these years is giving. You teach art to people, participate in cultural diplomacy, do charity work, organize art auctions to raise funds to build houses for people in flood-affected areas, support young artists' exhibitions… People often say that truly strong people are those who give; what are your thoughts on this?
Artist Van Duong Thanh: I am happy to be able to create art, to have won many awards, to have my paintings in the collections of many museums and large corporations, to travel to many countries, and to meet many people. Remembering my father's advice that when you succeed, you should know how to share your joy with others, I believe I must give more to society, especially to those in difficult circumstances such as lonely elderly people, hearing-impaired and visually impaired children, and orphans.
In particular, I really enjoy teaching people to draw, because I think that giving someone a gift or inviting them to a delicious meal is good, but showing them how to "create" art themselves helps them express more emotions and thoughts, and from there they understand the values of life. Artists like myself always feel indebted to the public.
Reporter: We are very close to the spring of 2026, with many new opportunities. Looking back on your own youth, what advice would you like to share with young people today?
Artist Van Duong Thanh: I had a youth filled with hunger, hardship, war, and then the arduous process of studying and pursuing art. My choice of painting as a profession wasn't as difficult as many young people choose now, because I was "thrown straight into" it, thanks to my teachers' guidance. But to create works of depth and quality, it still takes many years of hard work and life experiences. Now, when I auction off a painting to raise money to help the needy, for example, to fund reforestation, I see that art is miraculous in that it not only enriches people's spiritual lives but also helps change the difficult lives of many. From my experience, I want to tell young people that whatever you do, do it with love and selflessness, and the sweet rewards will come.
Reporter: Thank you, artist Van Duong Thanh, for the conversation.
According to Baotuyenquang.com.vn
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nhu-mot-mon-no-an-tinh-a479279.html
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