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| The work ‘Ngọn lửa Pác Pó’ (Pác Bó Fire) by Nguyễn Nghĩa Duyện at the exhibition. Photos nguoihanoi.vn |
HÀ NỘI — An exhibition featuring love and passion for the graphic arts depicted in dozens of outstanding works by generations of lecturers at the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts (VNUFA) has opened in the centre of Hà Nội.
The exhibition, themed Tháng 10 (October), is being held by the VNUFA’s Faculty of Graphics as a special event to celebrate the 100th founding anniversary of the university, which was formerly known as the Indochina School of Fine Arts.
About 60 works, including prints, graphic paintings and designs, are on display at the exhibit, serving as an inspiration for students to continue promoting the value of Vietnamese graphic arts.
Deputy Head of the Faculty of Graphics Hồ Trọng Minh said: “Graphic language is built from dots, strokes and blocks, of which the most important is strokes. Graphic design language is also based on these three elements, with the addition of a special element of typography.”
“The name of the exhibition, October, both reminds us of the basic symbols of graphic arts and relates to the binary language of the digital age,” Minh added.
Meanwhile, lecturer Trịnh Ngọc Lê said that the event aims to pay tribute to generations of lecturers, at the same time introducing to the public and students the creative process and dedication of artists and teachers.
“This is also an opportunity for students to access the works of their teachers directly, thereby having a clearer picture of their careers and future creative orientations,” Lê said.
“The exhibited works were created using a variety of materials, including woodcuts, lithographs, zinc prints and modern and hand-drawn models. This combination clearly demonstrates the spirit of modern graphics: it preserves traditional values and adapts to new creative trends.”
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| Political posters showing graphic arts are on display at the ‘October’ exhibition. |
Đinh Trung Kiên, a student at the university’s Graphics Faculty, said the exhibition was a meaningful activity as the school prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
“This is not only an opportunity to promote the graphics industry, but also helps students learn and practise skills in composition, image arrangement and colour use,” Kiên said.
Visitors to the exhibition expressed their appreciation for the harmonious combination of traditional materials and modern breadth in the displayed works.
Nguyễn Mai Anh from Hà Nội said that each work has its own creative mark, and is still connected to the “general flow of Vietnamese graphic arts”.
According to Mai Anh, the exhibition will help the public better understand the role of graphics in life, and also brings new opportunities to access historical documents as well as contemporary spirit.
Since the establishment of the Indochina School of Fine Arts in 1925, graphics have been included in the training programme through the subject of Decorative Arts and the practice of creating and researching woodcut prints.
The first graphic prints from the school were also the first modern works of Vietnamese fine art to be introduced in France, an important milestone confirming the position and pride of the Vietnamese graphic industry.
In the early period after the August Revolution, graphic artists made a significant contribution to the country’s cultural and political life through various creative forms, including paintings, posters, prints and applied graphic products such as stamps and banknotes.
After the restoration of peace, graphic arts continued to be maintained and developed in the school’s curriculum. From the 1964 research on woodblock prints to the establishment of the graphic printing workshop in 1974 and the official founding of the Graphic Arts Faculty in 1977, this field has experienced steady growth.
Currently, the VNUFA offers graphic arts training programmes in two majors: printmaking graphics and graphic design. Both programmes attract a large number of students.
The exhibition October not only aims to express gratitude and honour a century of tradition in Vietnamese fine arts, but also confirms the enduring vitality and creative adaptability of graphic art in its preservation and development.
The event is open until October 10 at the VNUFA at 42 Yết Kiêu Street, Hà Nội. VNS
