Not only that, he also works in many fields of journalism, on other cultural and artistic topics. After the work House and People , followed by the books Conversation with Painting and In the Grain of Rice, there is a Grain of Rice, a collection of articles by artist Le Thiet Cuong on Vietnamese culture in recent years.
Artist Le Thiet Cuong
Photo: TL
I have known artist Le Thiet Cuong for nearly 10 years. The first time poet and musician Nguyen Thuy Kha took me to La Ca restaurant, 24 Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi . This place is full of memories of two talented artists that I love. If before "literature without Tao Kha is sad", then later poet Nguyen Thuy Kha and artist Le Thiet Cuong became a pair of close friends, sharing poetry, music and painting every day at this lovely little restaurant.
"Every noon is the same as every other noon/the two of them put their heads down on their glasses/raising their Scotch Whisky/drinking until it's empty/so it won't be boring" (Nguyen Thuy Kha).
They are indispensable to each other, "regular but not boring", wine and art are soul mates of two famous talents not only in Hanoi but also in all regions of the country, especially in the exhibitions of paintings by painter Le Thiet Cuong, where poet Nguyen Thuy Kha is the one who leads the epigraph.
I was lucky to be close to them and learned many things about the personality of a true artist in this era. I not only admired the creative talent of two famous people but also learned many things from the style and standard behavior at the wine table of a soulmate artistic friendship. Originally a person from the countryside coming to the city, every time I saw the two of them clinking glasses with all their luxurious beauty, I felt more and more lost and rustic. I felt even smaller before the erudition of the "living dictionary of music " Nguyen Thuy Kha and the multi-system, multi-layered knowledge of literature and art, especially the unique minimalist painting world pursued by artist Le Thiet Cuong.
Artist Le Thiet Cuong at Gallery 39A Ly Quoc Su (Hanoi)
PHOTO: TL
Painter Le Thiet Cuong lives and creates freely in his own way.
During a few times sitting with him, Le Thiet Cuong said that from the beginning, he did not follow this path, but everything was "as if it was the first time", he often borrowed my verse to joke about this idea.
Experts have written a lot about Le Thiet Cuong's paintings, but I only heard the comments of poet Nguyen Thuy Kha during many drinking parties: "Le Thiet Cuong's paintings are vast and unpredictable. Each painting almost only chooses one main color tone, then dissolves that color on a quiet surface. From there, the colors and composition of the paintings will inspire viewers to think about what is really happening behind each person's fate."
Minimalism in Le Thiet Cuong's paintings is always concise with layers of meaning. The human figures, objects and landscapes are strangely simple, with strokes and divided into metaphorical color blocks. Viewers can easily feel the clarity and elegance in the space of each work, but it certainly takes time to "read" the multi-dimensional meanings of each painting. Artist Le Thiet Cuong's style is shaped by uniqueness and subtle minimalism, a path that he feels was destined for him since he was young.
Painter Le Thiet Cuong and author of the article - poet Nguyen Ngoc Hanh
PHOTO: TL
After being discharged from the army in 1984, painter Le Thiet Cuong often visited his neighbor, poet Dang Dinh Hung, father of People's Artist Dang Thai Son. Le Thiet Cuong once recounted: "It was Mr. Hung who helped him 'open his eyes', discover and develop his minimalist style. If holding a brush in a minimalist style, then painter Le Thiet Cuong also holds a pen in a minimalist style. Once, he told me, when painting, making statues, making pottery or designing graphics, even when writing about a certain character, I only talk about the precious dust particles they have contributed to literature and painting, not talking in circles about the author. Criticizing Nguyen Ngoc Hanh's poetry, Cuong still writes minimalistically. The unmade poems are the title of an article about his poetry published in Nhan Dan Newspaper, also in that minimalist tone of mine."
Le Thiet Cuong raised his glass to clink glasses with Nguyen Thuy Kha and said: "Minimalism is me, I am minimalism, it is my fingerprint, it is my identity, Nguyen Ngoc Hanh!".
Le Thiet Cuong, with his talent and unique style, has contributed significantly to the development of Vietnamese art, especially minimalist painting. His life is not only the story of a successful painter but also the journey of a true artist, living and creating freely in his own way.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/toi-gian-dau-van-tay-cua-hoa-si-le-thiet-cuong-185250717153851686.htm
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