Dear Trọng Kiệm,
Dear fellows,
I am the artist of the previous exhibition. I would like to thank you, and say goodbye to you all before I return to Sài Gòn.
I am very happy that we have met and discussed my exhibition and today I have the opportunity to attend the exhibition conference of my friend Trọng Kiệm.
It is very touching because Kiệm and I studied with the same teacher, we lived together in the same house for years. The two of us have spent 40 years together striving and fighting for a vision of Vietnamese painting. The two exhibitions recently clearly demonstrate that.
We live and hold our brushes, all driven by a mysterious magic: That is the art of painting.
Oh, a magic, a passion, it makes us soar, it also makes us suffer, sometimes even wasting ourselves, wasting our wealth, harming our honor!
***
My friend has exhibited all 40 years of work!
For someone who is indifferent to Painting, 40 years and one exhibition, but 400, 4000 years of work and thousands of exhibitions, there is nothing to say. It is nothing.
But for artists, those who love paintings, as you can clearly see, how moved, how much they respect and sympathize with our souls and our paintings.
We have truly lived in the hearts of those who love our paintings.
– Happiness is there!
– Existence is also there!
– In the future, we will definitely not be forgotten, it is also there!
Artist Trọng Kiệm painting the work ‘Uncle Hồ visits the working class in Hà Nội’, 1985 (oil,
110 × 300 cm, used to be exhibited at Friendship Cultural Palace Vietnam-Soviet Union)
Exhibition brochure of artist Trọng Kiệm at Exhibition House
No. 16 Ngô Quyền street, Hà Nội, 1987
Viewers have praised and criticized us. Over time and history, the truth of art will prevail.
Opinions about art, about private life, personality, if while we are still alive here, there are some unpleasant thorns, I tell you, in just a moment, when our artistic hearts stop beating, leave this world forever, they will all disappear, leaving only the works of our souls and the stories of our lives!
That day is not far away from us!
***
I think that the most frightening thing for you and me is boredom and laziness:
– Boring life
– Boring painting
– Boring drinking
– Boring love
Living lazily, painting lazily, loving, hating lazily…
Luckily, both of us do not have that.
***
Congratulations on making everyone see that you have lived a lovely 40 years.
In the last few years of your life, you have lived a lovely life, please continue to live as you have lived!
Written under the bronze statue of Lenin at Lenin Park, Hà Nội, March 18, 1987
Lưu Công Nhân
(Archives of the family of artist Trọng Kiệm, provided by artist Nguyễn Trần Minh)
Source: The Fine Arts Magazine of Việt Nam
