Artist auctions off paintings, sending love to flood victims.
Amidst the devastating floods in the South Central provinces, many artists have decided to auction off their paintings, transforming their artworks into practical resources to share with their fellow citizens. From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to many other localities, a wave of charitable activities initiated by artists themselves is spreading, creating a vibrant picture of the community responsibility of the art world.
When paintings are more than just for looking at.
On November 23rd, artist Ngo Xuan Khoi posted an announcement on his personal Facebook page about an auction of paintings to support people in Central Vietnam affected by floods. The painting, "Rising Up," painted on traditional Vietnamese paper (36x36cm), had a starting bid of 5 million VND, with a bidding increment of 500,000 VND, and the auction would last one day. This post attracted the attention of collectors, art lovers, and philanthropists from near and far.
As a native of Nghe An province, artist Ngo Xuan Khoi deeply understands the hardships and struggles of people's lives amidst natural disasters. Therefore, upon hearing news of the severe flooding in the South Central provinces, he did not hesitate to contribute his efforts and solidarity with the rest of the country to support those affected. By 10 PM on November 24th, the painting had been sold for 6.5 million VND to a collector, transferred directly to the account of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee - Central Relief Campaign Committee.
At the same time, artist Nguyen Manh Hung (Hung Ro) also spread the message, "Towards our compatriots in Central Vietnam! You can have paintings to hang and do charity work at the same time." He posted three paintings for sale and affirmed that all proceeds from the sale would be sent to Central Vietnam. Successful buyers would contact local relief organizations, and the process would be transparent and guaranteed by experienced community developers.
The three paintings chosen by the artist to spread love are "Peaceful Moonlight Night," mixed media on canvas, priced at $1,300; "Changing Seasons," acrylic on canvas, priced at $1,700; and "Clear Day," mixed media on canvas, priced at $1,700. It is known that by 4 PM on November 25th, two of the three paintings had already been purchased by collectors.
The precious sentiments of the artists have contributed to illuminating the warm colors of solidarity among compatriots in times of hardship. Artist Ho Hung (from Nghe An province) - a professional watercolor artist - shared emotionally: “We are fortunate to connect with collectors and loving hearts. We have been lucky to travel and paint our homeland Vietnam during peaceful times. Now, as our compatriots in Central Vietnam are grieving due to floods and storms, we would like to share these wonderful moments in each watercolor artwork by a group of artists from the North, Central, and South, hoping to contribute a small but timely amount to help our compatriots…”
The paintings contributed by artists to artist Ho Hung's "charity project" are all outstanding and unique works; they proactively adjusted the prices of the paintings to ensure they reached buyers quickly, thereby generating funds to send to their compatriots in need.
Just one day after sharing the information, many artists requested to submit more paintings. Artists Ngo Thanh Hai, Doan Quoc, Hoang Dung, Nguyen Hong Quan, Binh Chu, Cuong Nguyen, Dinh Quang Hai, Hoang Lam, Phan Anh Thu, Vo Hai, Trang Bui… and many other well-known names affirmed the role and significance of artists in these special moments for the country. By the night of November 24th, the charity art sale and donation campaign on artist Ho Hung's personal Facebook page had concluded, with a total of 247.8 million VND raised.
The value of art in a special time.
The artist, with his mastery of color, has proven that art, when placed in the right place and at the right time, can have a widespread impact. The auction and sale of paintings to raise funds during a natural disaster demonstrates that art is not detached from social issues.
What is commendable is that each artist participates voluntarily; no one is concerned about fame, reputation, or personal gain or loss. For them, this is an opportunity for their artwork to have a new, more useful, and practical life. For buyers, it's a way to both own valuable works of art and contribute to a greater, more meaningful cause.
It can be said that the value of a painting lies not only in its composition, lines, or materials, but also in its ability to create concrete changes in life. When a work of art is transformed into relief supplies, roofing sheets, or new desks and chairs for a flooded classroom, that value transcends the realm of aesthetics.
These paintings are not only beautiful from a visual perspective, but are even more beautiful because of the heart of the artist; and for collectors and art lovers, gazing at these special paintings will surely add many profound feelings to their aesthetic sensibilities.
Each painting that reaches a buyer, each successful auction, is a testament to the fact that art remains deeply intertwined with the rhythm of existential life. The solidarity of artists, collectors, art lovers, philanthropists, and others has spread humanism—the core of art—and perhaps, activities like these will help the Vietnamese art market become even more closely connected to life.
The South Central region will recover from the natural disaster, like vibrant colors painting a picture of life after the floods. And even if only a small part, these paintings, transcending exhibition rooms and easels, are contributing to restoring the colors of hope to that land.
