Young Hanoians revive folk paintings

THE HANOI TIMES — In modern life, young people value both contemporary and traditional art, blending past and present in their artistic works.

At the Literature Lake, Hanoi, Nguyen Thi Huu, founder of Magic of Color (MOC), is passionate about guiding young people to print folk paintings from woodblocks.

"I want folk painting genres such as Dong Ho, Hang Trong and Kim Hoang to become the main characters in printing workshops for young people," said Huu.

At MOC workshops, young people are guided to print paintings from woodblocks, color with natural materials, feel each strand of do (poonah) paper, and listen to the cultural story behind each painting, directly making a cultural work imbued with Vietnamese identity.

Things started in 2020, Huu worked with a group of young people to communicate cultural activities. They realized that many people need to explore and experience culture through folk paintings.

Therefore, MOC established and organized workshop programs related to experiences in craft villages,  folk paintings, and creative activities, creating items such as lanterns or paintings in a new way. They create a new destiny for old values to integrate folk paintings into contemporary life.

The project focuses on three prominent folk painting lines of Vietnam: Hang Trong paintings, Dong Ho paintings and Kim Hoang paintings. These are all quintessence lines that have long been closely associated with the lives of Vietnamese people, vividly reflecting the cultural values, history, and customs of the nation.

During the workshops, Huu introduced traditional painting materials and tools through images and documentaries so that workshop participants could understand more about the basic content and the making of a traditional folk painting.

The creative team has found ways to convey traditional values in a new and vivid way. Folk paintings are applied to daily life products such as lanterns, handbags, cups, cards, keychains, and pencil cases. These items are not just simple items but also imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, helping young generations love and access them more easily.

Folk painting workshops help participants gain deeper insights, connect the past with the present, and contribute to raising awareness, preserving and maintaining traditional values.

"In addition to folk painting activities, we are researching how to make folk paintings more present in life," said Huu.

One of the core elements that make up the success of MOC is the close cooperation with outstanding artisans in folk painting genres, such as artisan Nguyen Dang Che (Dong Ho paintings), artisan Le Dinh Nghien (Hang Trong paintings), artisan Dao Dinh Trung (Kim Hoang paintings) as well as young painters who preserve the heritage and develop traditional values.

"I always believe that in each color of folk paintings, there is a part of the beauty of the soul and love for the country and people of Vietnam. Each product brings a story, a word of gratitude to the talented artisans who have preserved and promoted those traditional values," said Huu.

Hai Anh, an overseas Vietnamese in Germany, took advantage of the summer vacation to bring her children to visit her home city in Hanoi.

Apart from sightseeing, she let her children experience traditional cultural activities so that they can better understand Vietnamese culture.

“I am very happy that my children have the opportunity to learn more about traditional culture. Even when they return to Germany, every time they look at the painting, they will remember Hanoi and Vietnam,” said Anh.