Dr. Amandine Dabat shares about the life and artistic legacy of King Ham Nghi

The program is part of a series of events to celebrate Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23, organized by the Hue Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC). Attending the event were Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh, representatives of departments and branches; leaders of the French Institute in Vietnam; Hue researchers, and descendants of King Ham Nghi. The seminar also had the participation and support of the French Institute in Vietnam and two organizations that publish and distribute Vietnamese translations, the Institute for the Preservation and Development of Traditional Culture (IPDTC) and the art exhibition house ART30 Gallery.

The book “Ham Nghi - Exiled Emperor, Artist in Alger” compiled by Dr. Amandine Dabat is a research work on the life and career of King Ham Nghi, as a patriotic king and a talented painter during his exile in France and Alger. The book explores the little-known artistic aspects of the emperor, one of the artists who left a special mark on modern Vietnamese fine arts.

At the seminar, with the sharing from author and speaker Amandine Dabat - who has spent many years researching the life and artistic legacy of King Ham Nghi, the public had the opportunity to gain deeper insight into the ups and downs of the exiled emperor's life, but always deeply missed his homeland, people and artistic talent, and to explore his creative process and the artistic values he left behind.

"The royal chopsticks made of walrus ivory" were presented by descendants of King Ham Nghi at the program.

On this occasion, the descendants of King Ham Nghi presented the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum (CVCĐ) under the Hue Center for Conservation of Traditional Cultures many valuable relics of King Ham Nghi, including: A wooden tray inlaid with mother-of-pearl; The book series "Royal records of royal court" (2 volumes); "Dan do huyen chi" (26 volumes); "Tang dinh thi kinh the chi dien nghia" (5 volumes); A pair of royal chopsticks made of walrus ivory, given by Queen Mother Tu Du to Mrs. Phan Thi Hoa to use during King Ham Nghi's meals (Can Vuong period 1885-1889); A pair of porcelain pots, belonging to King Ham Nghi's family.

Among them, the “Mother-inlaid wooden tray” and the “Chinese book set” originally belonged to King Ham Nghi. The tray was one of the treasures brought from Vietnam that he always kept with him as a souvenir to remember his homeland. The book set was among the few books that King Ham Nghi had read while abroad. These precious souvenirs were carefully kept by Princess Nhu Mai - King Ham Nghi's eldest daughter to commemorate her father. These are artifacts of high cultural and historical value, contributing to enriching the heritage collection of King Ham Nghi at the Hue Museum of Historical Relics.

In addition to the cooperation, contributions and donation of King Ham Nghi's relics to Thua Thien Hue province, Dr. Amandine Dabat and her family also donated the relic "Pipe" of King Ham Nghi to the People's Committee of Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province and an oil painting of King Ham Nghi to the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts.

According to Director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center Hoang Viet Trung, the activities at this event are of special significance in the field of cultural diplomacy, bringing strong impacts to the public and those interested in cultural - historical - artistic research. In addition to providing more valuable insights into the life of King Ham Nghi, contributing to introducing and promoting the image of the cultural heritage values of Hue - Vietnam, above all, it is also a manifestation of the heart of joining hands with the heritage converging in Hue. In the coming time, Thua Thien Hue province, Hue Monuments Conservation Center and related units will continue to promote a number of cooperation and cultural exchanges with organizations and individuals at home and abroad to collect more important documents and artifacts, enriching and deepening the historical story of the ancient capital of Hue.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in collaboration with Art Republik Magazine and the non-profit organization Lan Tinh Foundation, plans to organize an exhibition on the artistic life of King Ham Nghi in March 2025 at Kien Trung Palace, Imperial City, Hue.

Exhibition space "King Ham Nghi - Life and Art" at the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum

The Ham Nghi paintings are co-curated by art researcher Ace Le and Dr. Amandine Dabat. The French Institute in Vietnam will act as a community engagement partner throughout the event. The exhibition will be one of the special art events to introduce the original 20 oil paintings of King Ham Nghi. These works belong to many private collections and have undergone the appraisal process of leading experts in the field of fine arts.

The exhibition is not only an opportunity for the Vietnamese public to admire valuable works of art representing an entire historical period, but also an opportunity to better understand the soul and talent of a patriotic king who expressed his love for his homeland and his feelings through painting. The organization of the above discussion and exhibition plan is one of the efforts to preserve and promote the cultural and artistic values of the heritage of the ancient capital of Hue. This is also an opportunity to promote Vietnamese culture to international friends, while affirming Hue's position as a unique cultural center of the region and the world. Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center Hoang Viet Trung said that this event not only helps preserve the nation's cultural heritage but also creates opportunities for exchange and learning for the younger generation, helping them better understand the history and artistic values of Vietnam.

Art historian Amandine Dabat is a fifth-generation descendant of King Ham Nghi - great-granddaughter of Princess Nhu Ly (daughter of King Ham Nghi). She has a PhD in Art History (Sorbonne University), a master's degree in Vietnamese Studies (University of Paris 7-Diderot). In 2015, she successfully defended her doctoral thesis at the French National Institute of Art History (in Paris) with the topic of King Ham Nghi: "Ham Nghi - Emperor in exile, artist in Algiers".

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