An inside look at cartoons from the last 90 years is given in the newly published Biem Hoa Vietnam (Vietnamese cartoon).
Formerly an architect, artist Ly Truc Dung spent much time researching artists who made great contributions to the formation of Vietnamese cartoons.
"The book is published to honour Vietnamese cartoons. I have been collecting the materials for years. In the process of writing this book, I had lots of difficulties because of poor documents," said Dung.
The book begins by telling the history of the first person to draw cartoons and then goes on to discuss other famous artists in Vietnam that have brought publicity to the country. Each page tells the history of caricature through various individuals.
Painter and researcher Nguyen Quan said, "Vietnamese cartoons came from the country's love of laughter and comedy, to become a unique art that has developed with the nation."
To celebrate, a variety of cartoons are displayed at the French Cultural Centre at 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi. The works on show are from talented artists of past generations, such as Nguyen Gia Tri, To Ngoc Van, Phan Kich, Mai Van Hien, and more recent well-known pen names, including Choe, Com, LAP, LEO. They portray the realities of life with a critical eye.
Artist Nguyen Van Nhan criticises collecting money during parent-teacher meetings. Dung's cartoons published in Van Nghe Newspaper chide uncontrolled deforestation. Artist V. Thanh depicts the dangers of driving motorbikes with the image of incense and a tombstone. And artist DAD describes the consequences of urbanisation. The exhibition runs until March 14./.
