Composing photos about hát bội: Spreading colorful art

The art of hát bội through the lens of photography

In late May, the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House collaborated with female photographer Khanh Phan to organize an art photo shoot for a group of foreign photographers. The photographers captured many beautiful photos, showing the charisma of opera artists from the time of makeup to when they go on stage, performing choreography, transforming through opera masks...

The art of hát bội and the art of photography blend together in one frame, strongly spreading unique traditional artistic values and sparkling colors.

Photographer Khanh Phan is a famous female photographer with the work Floral Dress (won the highest prize at the SkyPixel remote control photography contest in 2023). In addition, she has won more than 300 domestic and international photography awards and organized many international photo exhibitions.

In addition to organizing art photography at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, photographer Khanh Phan has also organized a workshop for more than 100 photographers to experience taking art photos of Tuong at the Vietnam Tuong Theater ( Hanoi ) and experience sessions of Vietnamese cultural and artistic space for small-scale photography groups.

Female photographer Khanh Phan shared: “In 2024, I accidentally saw artists from the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theater dressing up and performing at the Tomb of Le Van Duyet in Binh Thanh District. Right then, I had the idea, wishing to contribute to promoting traditional Vietnamese art and culture to the world through photography. I connected with the theater to organize many Hat Boi art photo shoots, with the support of modern photography techniques, highlighting the beauty of colors, stage dance costumes, face painting techniques, shapes... helping to convey emotions to viewers".

International photographers passionately create photos at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House

Right after the photo shoot by photographer Khanh Phan, in early June, about 15 photographers from the Ho Chi Minh City Photography and Tourism Club gathered at the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theater to create beautiful photos with Hat Boi art.

Mr. Tran Quy Thinh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Photography and Tourism Club, said: “This is a new photography trend that photographers really like. It not only contributes to spreading national culture but also helps members have many opportunities to promote fresh creativity.”

Replicating the model

After a long period of being considered rather quiet, the art of hát bội in Ho Chi Minh City is making many strong changes, towards the community and society. In addition to photography workshops, there are also performances serving people and tourists in the Nguyen Hue walking street area (District 1); there are performances at the Tomb of Ta Quan Le Van Duyet (Binh Thanh District) and Hung Temple in the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (District 1); there are performances of typical excerpts of hát bội in the “Western street” Bùi Viện (District 1); and even bringing hát bội to bars serving foreign guests such as Dor Bar (District 1)...

Through that, it helps the art of hát bội to better promote its influence in cultural and social life, serve tourism, reach closer to the city's public, especially young audiences, students, and be loved by a large number of international tourists.

Not only simply performing excerpts from traditional plays, art performances are also increasingly diversified, such as: introducing character makeup, displaying costumes, exhibiting images...

Artist Nguyen Thanh Binh, Head of the Performance Organization Department, Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theater, said: “In recent times, the theater's activities have not only stopped at performing, but also expanded its reach to the public through many forms, of which photo sessions are a part. Our goal is to spread Hat Boi art more and more widely, strongly contributing to bringing diversity to the cultural and artistic life of Ho Chi Minh City.”

The positive changes of the art of hát bội in the cultural and social life in recent years are a good sign for those who practice the art. When the art of hát bội becomes more familiar, loved and sought after by many people, it is the motivation for artists to be more enthusiastic in working, creating, and contributing... thereby contributing to preserving, promoting and developing the traditional art of hát bội in the cultural and artistic life of the city and the whole country.

THUY BINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/sang-tac-anh-ve-hat-boi-lan-toa-nghe-thuat-sac-mau-post799257.html