Culture and history 'marry' with painting

(PLVN) - As part of the series of activities of the comic book development project in Vietnam, on the occasion of the launch of the book series "Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Soldiers and Workers in France during World War II" and "Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Miners in the New World", Kim Dong Publishing House in collaboration with the French Institute organized the discussion "Comics: When culture - history "marry" with painting".

The event took place on May 11 in Hanoi , with the participation of artist Clément Baloup - author of two comic books "Memories of Overseas Vietnamese", literary researcher Le Nguyen Long and coordinator - translator Phung Hong Minh.

"Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Soldiers and Workers in France during World War II" is a story about the soldier-workers, or ONS, a term used to refer to Vietnamese workers who were conscripted and forced to work in France during World War II (1939 - 1945).

Discussion "Comics: When culture - history "marries" with painting (Photo: TD)

At that time, there were about 20,000 soldier workers who went to the "home country" to work in factories, plants, fields... Trapped by the war, some people voluntarily stayed, some people could not return home, and those who returned also experienced many ups and downs due to their identity as "soldier workers". Their stories were almost buried in the sands of time, little known to both the French and the Vietnamese today.

The comic book "Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Soldiers and Workers in France during World War II" brings a vivid story about the soldier-workers of the past, with their great contributions to production in France and their enthusiastic support for Uncle Ho and the Vietnamese Revolution during a turbulent period in world history.

Two books: “Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Soldiers and Workers in France during World War II” and “Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Miners in the New World” by artist Clément Baloup.

“Memories of Overseas Vietnamese: Chan Dang - Vietnamese Miners in the New World” takes readers back to nearly 100 years ago, when ships from Hai Phong crossed the sea carrying thousands of Vietnamese farmers to the islands of faraway Oceania.

They went abroad as voluntary labor export workers, working under 5-year contracts through French colonial recruitment companies. These people were called “chan dang” (registered laborers).

The book depicts the lives of miners in New Caledonia in the past, from which we learn more about a generation of Vietnamese expatriates. With simple aspirations, they could not have imagined that they would have to work in terrible conditions and face many events.

The two comic books bring vivid stories about the lives of Vietnamese people living far from their homeland during a turbulent period in history. Regardless of the circumstances, they still reveal many typical Vietnamese qualities: diligence, courage, optimism, not giving up in the face of adversity and always looking towards their homeland. "It is the strength of Vietnamese culture that helps them always unite and look towards their homeland and country," the artist affirmed.

With two books "Memories of Overseas Vietnamese", artist Clément Baloup has recreated pieces of the past of a Vietnamese community that seems to have been forgotten in history.

Book sketch by artist of mixed French and Vietnamese blood (Photo: TD).

With French and Vietnamese blood and a special interest in Vietnamese history and culture, artist Clément Baloup has exploited stories from many different perspectives: Comparing the differences between the perspective of witnesses and the perspective of the outside world; the concerns before the fate of people when living abroad; about the relationship between generations (parents - children).

Drawing on historical research, archival materials, interviews and personal notes, artist Clément Baloup recreates a reality that intertwines past and present, across vast spaces, from Vietnam to France and New Caledonia.

Clément Baloup shared: "Memories will gradually fade in everyone's mind, so I want to use comics to connect those fragile memories with valuable time markers, to reveal the inevitability of human destiny."

According to him, comic pages give him the opportunity to share his emotions, because drawing is the desire to express personal thoughts, is a dialogue with other people's views, is showing the world his own perspective.

Thuy Duong

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/van-hoa-lich-su-ket-duyen-cung-hoi-hoa-post548027.html