Le Ba Dang is one of the most well-established Vietnamese artists living overseas. East meets West in perfect fusion in his paintings. Born in 1921 in the battle-scarred central province of Quang Tri, he first set foot in France in 1939. His love for the art led him to Toulouse Arts Academy.

In 1989, the artist was awarded An Artist if Grand Talent and Humanity by the Saint Louis Institute. Cambridge University placed him on list of the most famous people in 1992-93. In 1994, the French Government granted him the National Order of Literature and Arts. His exhibitions have traveled all around the world. Dang is currently living in France with his wife.

The artist discloses his inside thoughts with journalist Le My Y.

You started your art career overseas, rather than in Vietnam. Has nostalgia played a role in your work?

In Paris, I was among the first to take to the streets to welcome late President Ho Chi Minh in 1946 when he arrived for Franco-Vietnamese negotiations. I paint the Vietnamese flag in my pictures during wartime. Nevertheless, not until 1994 when I returned to Vietnam did I really live to the fullest for my homeland. My first exhibition back home was held in my village’s communal house as homage to my ancestors. Nostalgia, in every sense, really has its influence in my creative soul.

A while ago you said that you were someone living in a dream of a lost paradise. Where is your lost paradise?

For me, my current life is still a dream –a dream a lost paradise. As an artist, wherever I can survive, that place is my paradise. Viet Nam is a paradise that I am looking forward to again. I would love to become a Vietnamese citizen.

I also love prizes and award. But indeed, they are not the ultimate goal of my work. What matters most to me is how I live my life.

People talk about naming an artistic space after you. Where do you think Le Ba Ding’s space should be in the global arts scene?

My ultimate goal in the arts is to find a truly Vietnamese artistic style. Viet Nam has not been known for having a distinct fine arts style. Oil painting created by Vietnamese painters today originated from the French style. Calligraphy has its root in China.

A picture, in our ancestor’s minds, was a memorized image of nature. Therefore the ideas of Hon Trong Mai (Couple Stone) came to life as the products of their imagination; of stones in the shape of human beings. It was all art to them, rather than picture hung on the wall.

I want to create an artistic space of my own where people can experience and touch my beauty. I want to bring my space to nature – for example the Co Loa temple area – to make it part of the land, forest and mountain. That is how I see my own artistic space in the global arts scene.

Besides painting, you also write quite a lot. You have written stories about the lives of Le, Da, Ba and Dang. Do these characters reflect your own life?

Yes, they are my self-portraits. I write in order to enrich my own Vietnamese language although I am afraid they would say I am greedy, we just want to make a different with our work.

What do you think of the current Vietnamese arts scene?

I don’t want to talk too much about the Vietnamese arts scene right now. Of its historical works, I will say that I like Nguyen Phan Chanh's silk paintings. As for Vietnamese graphic arts, I think it is still a nascent art form still in the learning stages. And lacquer? It derived from China.

In the future, I want to travel more to find more artistic spaces of my own. Hopefully my plan to create spaces in Vietnam for Vietnamese people will not be just a dream. – VNS

Reprinted with permission from Vietnam News Agency