Viewers and colleagues saw the work "Road to the Campaign" for the first time at the 29th Red River Delta Fine Arts Exhibition in 2024 held in Hai Phong. Here, the work won the C prize. With a size of 190 x 190cm, expressed in oil paint, "Road to the Campaign" not only attracts viewers' eyes because of its impressive size, but also because of its very special expression. The author used a warm color scheme, harmoniously mixed between orange and yellow, to depict the battlefield scene to bring an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic feeling of the campaign participants... Artist Do Kich shared: The colors of the painting depict the boiling, hot nature of the war. In that painting, I drew the cart of the frontline laborers used as a means of transport to serve the battle. These were vehicles manufactured by the French and brought to Vietnam, and were modified by our frontline militia to become a mobile means of transport to serve the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
Having seen many paintings by artist Do Kich and followed his creative journey for a long time, I see a breakthrough in his brushwork in “The Road to the Campaign”. The color blocks on the painting are intentionally bold and thick. Each streak of red soil and battlefield dust clings to the vehicle, creating a weight that requires people to not only use strength, but also will to push it up the hill. Artist Do Kich affirmed: I have changed my brushwork. Before, when painting with oil paint, due to economic conditions, I only used it to a certain extent. But now, working conditions have basically improved, I paint thicker. Like in this painting, that way of expression has created special emotions for the viewer... I asked him: At that time, you were not old enough to participate in the campaign, why did you understand the atmosphere and the small details of that journey so well? Artist Do Kich raised his eyes covered with long silver eyebrows, showing interest in the question, and answered emphatically: How interesting! Previously, poet Tran Dang Khoa once asked poet To Huu, when Dien Bien Phu won, he was still several hundred kilometers away from Dien Bien, so why did he have such a good poem "Hoan Ho Chi Minh Dien Bien"? Simply, because he had a strong imagination, fighting and winning must be like that! I also had years of participating in the resistance war against the US, I also saw with my own eyes how our army and people worked and fought, from trenches, factories, to the front lines facing the enemy. I painted "The Road to the Campaign" with all my enthusiasm.
The truth of creativity is the close connection between real life experience and indirect life experience so that the strong, colorful thinking power can enter into real life to create valuable works. Painter Do Kich follows this point of view to overcome the obstacles of age and mobility conditions and freely create in his own space and realm of thought. Many veteran painters who saw “The Road to the Campaign” were amazed: “Oh my god, he also showed the difference of the cart to Dien Bien years ago with the basket hanging on the handlebars! If you don’t experience it and don’t research it, you won’t know how specific it is. Because, it’s the same cart, but if it was used to transport rice in the past, it wouldn’t have two baskets hanging in front.” Then, in the composition of the work, people usually draw the cart at the bottom of the painting. But Do Kich didn’t do that, he put the cart on top, making it the main image of the work. The artist's composition is also quite tight by placing the main images of the painting diagonally, with a blank space below, where he painted two people sitting and smoking. Looking at the painting, we can see that, amidst the turmoil of the battlefield, the heat of the weather, the hardships of the road..., the frontline laborers participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign still had moments of peace, gentleness and optimism. Artist Do Kich was satisfied with the painting because his ideas were successfully expressed, expressing the intentions he wanted to convey: That is the strength of will, the spirit of solidarity that made the victory of our army and people in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. We already know that the French Prime Minister once said that the will here was not something that defeated Nava, but the 230kg cart pushed by human power, that was what defeated Nava.
The path of the work to the public is through regional and national fine art exhibitions. According to artist Do Kich, at the National Fine Arts Exhibition on the theme of Armed Forces - Revolutionary War in the period of 2019-2024 organized by the Vietnam Military History Museum, this painting of his is one of 200 typical paintings, graphics, and sculptures by 193 artists selected to be introduced. This is one of the oil paintings that realistically depicts the image of soldiers in combat, while reflecting the solidarity between the army and the people, the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" through the multi-dimensional perspective of the artist... Following this event on the mass media, I saw "The Road to the Campaign" by artist Do Kich being named, illustrating the quality paintings that were highly appreciated at the exhibition. Artist Do Kich said that the Exhibition Organizing Committee will present awards on April 30. He hopes that Ha Nam will reap many good results from this exhibition.
For me, “The Road to the Campaign” continues the artistic path of artist Do Kich in a subject area that few people have successfully expressed in Ha Nam. With practical experiences, along with the artist’s constant efforts, reading, researching, learning… he has created valuable paintings, contributing to the development of Ha Nam fine arts.
Jiangnan
Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/toi-ve-duong-vao-chien-dich-bang-tat-ca-nhiet-huet-cua-minh-149163.html
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