Nostalgia for Vietnamese folk paintings

Vietnamese folk paintings are facing the risk of fading away and being lost because the custom of collecting and using paintings is no longer as popular as before.

Faced with changes in economic and social life, Vietnamese folk paintings are gradually being forgotten and facing the risk of extinction. There was a time when entire villages making folk paintings no longer existed and those who were dedicated to preserving the craft and knew how to do it were few in number, many folk paintings only remain in memory. That is the sad reality of our country's folk paintings, a cultural heritage closely associated with spiritual life and beliefs, a characteristic in the flow of national culture.

The 18th and 19th centuries are considered the most prosperous period of Vietnamese folk paintings along with the development of printing and wood carving. During this period, the production of folk paintings expanded in many localities, concentrated in villages or printed by individual households, meeting the needs of residents across the country.

Since then, famous folk wood carving production centers have been formed, named after administrative locations, such as: Dong Ho (Bac Ninh), Hang Trong (Hanoi), Kim Hoang (Hoai Duc-Hanoi), Nam Hoanh (Nghe An), Sinh village (Hue)... With the content conveying the wish for a peaceful and happy life, folk paintings are widely used during Tet or worshiping ceremonies, bearing strong elements of people's beliefs and religions.

Southern glass painting

However, due to changes in history and socio-economic life, many painting genres have been lost today, such as Kim Hoang and Nam Hoanh. Painting genres that still exist, such as Dong Ho paintings, mountain worship paintings, and Southern glass paintings, are no longer as prosperous as before.

Artisan Nguyen Huu Qua, in Dong Ho village, Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province, one of the few artisans still making Dong Ho folk paintings, said: Before 1945, every family in the village made paintings, but now Dong Ho paintings are not popular, so every family has switched to making votive offerings to make a living.

Artisan Nguyen Huu Qua shared: "Previously, Dong Ho paintings were the main product for people to enjoy during Tet. Currently, in addition to Dong Ho paintings, there are many other products such as wood paintings, copper paintings, embroidery, etc. People have more choices, causing Dong Ho paintings to fade away. The consumption of Dong Ho paintings has decreased and the number of artisans making a living from painting has also decreased a lot."

With Hang Trong folk paintings - a famous genre of paintings in the Hanoi region with works such as "Carp watching the moon", "Pine, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, Apricot" paintings... now there is only one artist, Le Dinh Nghien, who is at a rare age and is quietly keeping the profession.

Hang Trong folk paintings.

Artisan Le Dinh Nghien shared: "Hang Trong paintings are not as developed as they used to be. This profession is also selective, requires skillful hands and hard work. Hang Trong paintings are more laborious than other types of paintings because you have to use a brush to paint each color one by one, it is not possible to do it quickly and it is not possible to industrialize it either."

Along with the Northern folk paintings, the Southern folk paintings such as cloth wrapping paintings and fabric paintings currently only have one artisan. Or the folk paintings of Sinh village in Thua Thien Hue with a history of more than 400 years are also gradually fading away and deforming. Many unique paintings and engravings of Sinh village paintings are no longer original and have been lost among the people.

Associate Professor Dr. Phan Thanh Binh - Principal of Hue University of Arts said: Sinh village paintings are woodblock paintings commonly used in the ancient capital of Hue with the sole function of serving worship, after the worship is finished, it is burned. Therefore, up to now, only the woodblocks are precious artifacts still preserved in the house of Mr. Ky Huu Phuoc - a long-time painting artisan in Sinh village.

He is the last person in this genre who knows how to create and engrave paintings that are true to the identity of the ancient Sinh village folk paintings. This shows that the scale has been greatly reduced compared to the past. As long as people still believe in spirituality, the paintings will survive.

According to VOV