The exhibition “Gratitude in Painting” introduces 63 works out of more than 3,000 portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers by female artist Dang Ai Viet.
On July 27, the Vietnam Women's Museum coordinated with relevant units to organize an exhibition."Gratitude"Introducing 63 portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers by female artist Dang Ai Viet, on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2024).
This is the third event held at the Vietnam Women's Museum about the sketches of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers by artist Dang Ai Viet.
"Gratitude"reflects the artist's persistent, persistent, emotional and memorable journey over the past decade to sketch portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. It is also a voluntary, self-centered journey, a race against time to meet the Mothers before it is too late. That journey is associated with the artist's constant and loyal companions, which are the Chaly motorbike, Cup 50 motorbike... and the minimalist luggage with a toolbox containing paper, paint and brushes, along with a few personal belongings to help her travel all over the roads.
Artist Dang Ai Viet was a reporter for the Women's Liberation Newspaper during the war against the US. As a soldier and artist, she understands the loss and pain caused by war and appreciates even more the sacrifices of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers.
The artist hopes that his works can contribute to spreading the tradition of “remembering the source of water”, expressing gratitude for the contributions and sacrifices of generations of Vietnamese women and heroic Vietnamese mothers. Up to now, the journey of more than 14 years (from February 19, 2010) has taken the artist to 63 provinces and cities, painting more than 3,000 portraits of mothers. That is the result of the serious, effective and admirable artistic work of artist Dang Ai Viet.
Sharing about his journey, artist Dang Ai Viet said: “No one assigned me to draw portraits of mothers, it was an order from my heart. The motivation for me to draw at this age is love. The journey to mothers is the journey to love life. When you love something, you can overcome all obstacles to get to where you need to go.”
Artist Dang Ai Viet has donated nearly 3,000 of his portraits of heroic Vietnamese mothers to the Vietnam Women's Museum for display and propaganda purposes.
The exhibition lasts for one week at the Vietnamese Women's Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi.
Artist Dang Ai Viet (Dang Thi Bong) was born on November 16, 1948 in Tien Giang. She became an actress in the My Tho provincial art troupe when she was only 15 years old. In July 1964, she was a painter and reporter for the Liberation Women's Newspaper. After graduating from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in 1981, she became a teacher at the Cambodian School of Culture and Arts and spent 20 years teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. Retiring in 2003, she actively participated in social activities and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for the Support of the Disabled and Orphans.
In addition to sketching, which is her forte, the artist also has a number of works in the genres of propaganda paintings and oil paintings. Since February 2010, she has made more than 3,000 portrait sketches of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers across the country. She has been recognized by the Vietnam Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records as the first woman to use a Chaly motorbike to travel across 63 provinces and cities to sketch portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and is the person who has drawn the most portraits of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers.
On November 13, 2020, she was awarded the title of Hero of Labor by the State.