Folk art gets 21st-century interpretation

      Farmers created Dong Ho traditional wood block prints in the past to express their lives and dreams. Now, young painter Pham Huy Thong has updated the traditional style with contemporary life.
In his latest exhibition Cap Nhat (Update) at l’Espace, most of the 14 works on display are inspired by Dong Ho traditional prints. He used this format to express his thoughts and concerns about society’s current problems.
There is, for example, a historic Dong Ho painting called Nha Nong (Farmer), which features a farmer sitting next to her stout buffalo, which is ploughing the field, showing the rural life.
Thong invokes this famous work, but instead of a picture of contentment and the good life, his work features a farmer looking both bored and sad, sitting next to his buffalo. It is clear the man has lost his land and has had to announce the sale of his buffalo. His mobile phone number is written on the body of the buffalo, so interested buyers can more easily contact him. Here, Thong expresses his sympathy with the farmers who have had to become city dwellers after having lost their livelihood.
The Dong Ho painting Phu Quy (Wealth) features a plump boy holding a fat duck in his hand, showing a dream of an abundant life.
The boy in Thong’s complementary painting holds a microphone in his right hand and a radio in the other hand. He is singing karaoke. Surrounding him is a chaos of musical equipment.
Ruoc Trong
(Drum Procession), another traditional print, features a group of young men taking part in a joyful new year’s festival, full of colours and sounds, with drums, flags, fans and the parasol.
Thong’s work shows children laughing while pushing an ice cream cart, playing musical instruments and making a lot of noise in the street.
In his works, he criticises the negative impact of economic development, industrial life, and corruption. However, the public can also see his optimism and hope for a better future.
"Farmers living hundreds of years ago made paintings about their lives and dreams. Now, I base my works on this spirit, but bring into them the new stories and new breath of modern life," says Thong.
"I call it ‘update’. It’s like when we update the news or update new software for an old computer. Life’s rhythms are so pressing. New problems can happen often. Those who have interest in life are always preoccupied with ‘updates’ in their mind."
The paintings were created over the last year. Instead of using lacquer, the material that he used for many years, in this exhibit he uses mostly acrylics.
"What makes an artist different from others, is his capacity to show his point of view. For me, with contemporary art, the choice of the subject and the attitude towards life are the decisive elements to decide the progress of the artist," Thong says.
"The work of an artist reflects the rapport between the artist and the social environment. Therefore, in my early phase as an artist, I chose to directly focus on society in my art. I want to contribute in my own way to make society better," he said.
Many viewing the show expressed their support for Thong’s creations.
"It’s a very new and creative way to talk about society’s stories. He managed to express his view of society with his own language; it’s good that he dares to do it with lots of humour," says visitor Vu Thanh Lan.
Thong was born in 1981; he graduated from the Ha Noi Industrial Fine Arts College in 2004. He has held several exhibitions locally and internationally, and his paintings have been included in contemporary art collections abroad, as well. Recently, he quit his job as a teacher at the Architecture University to focus on being a full-time artist.
The exhibition runs until July 15 at l’Espace, the French Cultural Centre, located at 24 Trang Tien street, Ha Noi.