Artists dedicated to the theme of war invalids and martyrs

For a long time, the theme of war invalids and martyrs has been the creative inspiration of artists of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association. The content of the works focuses on paying tribute to the heroic martyrs, honoring generations of fathers and brothers who bravely fought and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the nation.

Artist Vu Tuan Viet with his work "Memories of War".

In the Nam Dinh fine arts community, painter Pham Quyen (86 years old) has many works selected for national fine arts exhibitions and won major fine arts awards. In particular, his paintings have reflected the diverse resistance war to protect the Fatherland, labor production, daily life and the lives of our army and people during the resistance war. In his creative activities, painter Pham Quyen's paintings are expressed on many different materials such as: silk paintings, oil paintings, pigments, synthetic materials... Painter Pham Quyen's paintings on the theme of war invalids and martyrs are mainly painted with synthetic materials using embossing techniques, retouching... expressing the emotions on the surface of the paintings with coherent and creative thinking. In his works, painter Pham Quyen is always concerned with the image of young volunteer girls, in which the painting "Immortal Bridge Pillar" is a story recreated with the artist's colors and emotions. The work depicts the image of female youth volunteers in the Southwest region soaking in the stream, placing tree trunks and planks on their shoulders as living bridges for wounded soldiers to cross. The work “Shadow of the Temple for Commemorating Comrades” helps viewers see the scene in an ancient temple, female youth volunteers, some healthy, some wounded, some who have taken refuge in Buddha, are holding memorial services for their fallen comrades. The work is expressed from the emotions of a true story in Thai Binh . Those are 45 female youth volunteers in the same unit who went through the fierce days of war. When returning to their homeland, some died, some survived; many of them went to the temple to find peace of mind in Buddha. Many other works on the theme of war invalids and martyrs by artist Pham Quyen also left an impression on viewers such as: "Silent", "The remaining souls on the Truong Son range", "Rest in peace on the motherland", "Loss"... The work "Rest in peace on the motherland" was painted by him with the content of welcoming the remains of martyrs back to their homeland. The work with warm and dark tones exudes both the warmth of the whole family gathered around the grave of the martyrs and evokes sadness. The image of the Vietnamese Heroic Mother, after many years of searching for the remains, now standing in front of her child's grave moves viewers.

For artist Vu Xuan Duong (68 years old), having experienced wartime, his works on the theme of wounded soldiers and martyrs often contain sadness and deep philosophy. In February 1975, Vu Xuan Duong enlisted in the 101st Regiment, 325A Division, 2nd Corps. After training, he went to the fiery land of Vinh Linh (Quang Tri), and after a while, the unit moved to take over the liberated area near Long Binh General Warehouse (Bien Hoa, Dong Nai ). During his time there, witnessing the scorched villages and the bare fields due to the smoke of war, he was more deeply aware of the brutality of the enemy, and also understood more about the great sacrifices of our army and people. Many of his works have left their mark on the art world and art lovers such as: "Remembering Truong Son", "Memories of Wartime", "Looking for Comrades", "Mother"... The work "Mother" by artist Vu Xuan Duong, takes the scene of a simple house, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother with a kind face standing in front of the door waiting for her son to return... The painting with warm colors as the main theme, with the highlight being the blue door - the color of the soldiers' uniforms, as if affirming that they are still present here with their old mothers. The work "Looking for Comrades" is painted with oil paint with the main color being the immense green of the mountains and forests; highlighting the image of soldiers searching for their comrades' graves with yellow and red colors expressing warmth and comradely affection; the upper part of the painting is dotted with warm, gentle colors of the late afternoon symbolizing the connection between the soldiers searching for graves and their comrades left behind on the battlefield.

Painter Vu Tuan Viet (32 years old) is from the younger generation, who did not witness the sacrifices and losses from the wars to protect the Fatherland, but through historical lessons and direct participation in volunteer campaigns to help children affected by Agent Orange/dioxin, he has been troubled in his works. With a modern painting style following the cubist motif, emphasizing emotional elements, reflecting artistic images through suggestive and suggestive painting, Tuan Viet is a breath of fresh air for Nam Dinh painting. His works such as "Memories of War" and "Obsession" clearly depict the fierce consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin. The work "Memories of War" has a spread-out composition, arranging character details with characteristics such as faces, limbs in connected blocks to create surface blocks. The main color of the work is orange, expressing pain, writhing, reflecting the cruelty and crimes committed by the enemy. The work "Obsessed" has a vertical composition with a red-orange sky, ruined houses, disabled children due to the consequences of war, fathers and mothers silently suffering watching the aftermath of their children... In 2024, artist Vu Tuan Viet continues to be interested in composing on the theme of war invalids and martyrs with 3 works "Historical Witness", "Soldier's Memory", "Old Soldier". The work "Historical Witness" with a modern art style, artist Vu Tuan Viet divides the work into 3 spatial dimensions, the upper area symbolizes memories of war, moments of "rain of bombs, storm of bullets" of the enemy. The central part is the image of a war invalid sitting in a wheelchair, remembering and telling the story of the past, the stages he experienced. Besides, in the painting also appears the image of a genderless, faceless character symbolizing the future figure listening to the resounding victories of his fathers. Bong The flowers hanging down over the character's head symbolize inheritance and gratitude for the future.

The works on the theme of war invalids and martyrs by Nam Dinh artists have highlighted and praised the nation's revolutionary heroism, helping today's young generation to be more proud of their ancestors' revolutionary traditions in the resistance wars to protect the Fatherland, and continue to contribute to building an increasingly prosperous and beautiful homeland.

Article and photos: Viet Du

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202407/nhung-hoa-si-tam-huyetvoi-de-tai-thuong-binh-liet-si-9791aa2/