17-year-old author exhibits paintings on the theme of diplomatic missions

On the morning of October 21, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum held an exhibition of Paintings and Poems on Diplomatic Missions. The exhibition displayed 50 works by author Nam Phuong depicting poems on the theme of diplomatic missions by historical diplomats.

Tác giả Nam Phương tại lễ khai mạc triển lãm.

Author Nam Phuong at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

In the heritage of Vietnamese Chinese poetry, poetry collections with themes from the field of diplomacy, called Hoa trinh, Su trinh (Envoy's Journey)... account for a significant number. These are poems composed by the envoys themselves, reflecting important activities in the long history of building and defending the nation.

The poems of the ambassadors are diverse in themes, inspirations and artistic styles, contributing to the colorfulness of the country’s literature and therefore playing an important role in national literature. Poets such as Pham Su Manh, Nguyen Dinh Sach, Nguyen Danh Du, Nguyen Quy Duc, Nguyen Mau Ang, Nguyen Kieu… all left valuable works.

From learning about the national culture, feeling the affection of our ancestors through the collection of Poetry on the Envoys by authors Pham Thieu and Dao Phuong Binh of the Institute of Han Nom Studies (editor-in-chief), published by the Social Sciences Publishing House in 1993, author Pham Nam Phuong (born in 2006) painted, hoping to contribute his small part to the journey of preserving and spreading the cultural and historical values of the nation.

Nam Phuong’s works mainly depict the feelings of envoys facing majestic natural landscapes, homesickness or mixed feelings on a journey abroad. Images of women from many angles and moods appear abundantly in the works of this 17-year-old author.

Painter Nguyen Tuan Son, who directly guided Nam Phuong in pursuing this topic, said: "Through the poetic works of famous people, Nam Phuong has perceived and painted them in images, along with that by perceiving the language of painting (composition, strokes, colors) with mature and professional brushstrokes."

Commenting further on Nam Phuong’s works, artist Nguyen Tuan Son said: “Nam Phuong paints with an impressive style, the paintings are inspired by nature, the composition is very methodical and professional. Nam Phuong’s difference is that he dares to embark on a difficult topic that few people dare to pursue because it requires integrated knowledge between painting, history, and literature.”

Artist Le Hai Duc believes that the author has conveyed some of the concerns and thoughts of the ancestors on their journey abroad, expressed through simple strokes. In particular, the images of women appearing in Nam Phuong's paintings seem to have sympathy, both wistful and full of personality.

The Painting - Poetry Exhibition of the Ambassador will last until October 24, 2023. All proceeds from the sale of the paintings by author Nam Phuong will be donated to charity activities, helping children in difficult circumstances.

Some paintings at the exhibition: