Heat of battle: Sketches by artist Ton Duc Luong during the American war tell the stories of conflict and the role of young volunteers. — VNS Photos

by Bach Lien

HA NOI (VNS) — Old drawings can become faded, lost to the passage of time and the worms but stories artists want to tell never grow old.

As many as 150 sketches created by artist Ton Duc Luong during the American War tell some extraordinary stories. Although many are old and worn, the message they convey is clear. Now, local people can enjoy the artist's vivid depictions of life during the American war at an exhibition at the Viet Nam Museum of Fine Arts in the capital.

Luong completed many series of sketches between 1960 and 1972. The first on display at the museum features images of workers at the Co Kenh Coal Mine in Hai Duong Province in 1967. He portrays scenes from their daily life and work.

The second series captures the activities of youngsters from the Ha Tinh Group of Volunteer Youth in Phu Tho Province during the early 1970s. He sketched them working in an assigned economic area, reclaiming bamboo hills to plant bananas and build farms.

The exhibition has been organised by Thai art collector Tira Vanichtheeranont, who has spent years collecting Luong's works.

"I wish to present to the public a talented artist whose works are very important in the history of painting and sketching in Viet Nam," said Vanichtheeranont.

"These sketches are very important documents, offering insights into key activities from people during the war, including how Vietnamese women supported soldiers by clearing roads to transport food and war supplies to the battle field," he said.

Luong was extremely interested in sketching young people at work during his career.

"During my artistic life I have always been inspired by the enthusiasm of young people. I admire those youths who were ready to overcome many difficulties to fight for the reunification of their country," he said.

His sketches were created during his frequent trips through the country when he was working as an artist for the newspaper Tien Phong (Vanguard). In his career he documented the anti-French resistance, the American war and then Viet Nam's journey towards peace. He retired in the late 1980s after devoting his working life to sketching reality despite the ever-present dangers from bombs and bullets. Everywhere he went Luong brought a French Waterman iron pen to sketch.

"I leaned to hold the pen differently, and tilt the tip to create different styles when I sketched," he recently revealed.

Critics have hailed Luong as an important cultural figure.

"His scripts have a certain historical value, through which we ascertain the subtle and humane view of the artist. He didn't simply copy the reality as he saw it. Each behaviour and object depicted, even if drawn only by a couple of draft strokes, would be enough to show his view and attitude, " says art critic Phan Cam Thuong.

Despite his outstanding work, Luong remains relatively unknown due to his modesty. The 80-year-old was from the last generation of graduates from the Indochina College of Fine Arts, along with famed artists Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai.

From 1950-80, he participated in national fine art exhibitions and some of his oil-on-canvas, silk, and wood engraved paintings and sketches are preserved at the Viet Nam Museum of Fine Arts and the Army Museum. They have been brought out of storage and put on display for the current exhibition. A number of his paintings have been exhibited in China, Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe.

The exhibition runs until next Monday at the Viet Nam Museum of Fine Arts, located at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ha Noi. — VNS