The only speech of Bui Xuan Phai delivered in public
Phai was famous for being quite, gentle and humble. He has never
been seen to speak eloquently and loudly in public. Early this
year, I looked for his speech delivered in the closing ceremony
of Bui Xuan Phai Exhibition in my documents and found it. It was
the first and only speech in his life to be delivered in public.
Its content is as follows:
Dear all,
I am pleased to meet you today in an early day of year. Another
Spring has come.
It is also to day when my art exhibition is closed and once
more, I have a chance to participate in a peer talk held by
Vietnam Visual Art Association.
One month elapsed. My dream has almost become true. I am very
pleased to see that my art exhibition is a great success.
I have thought much of the responsibility of an artist. I am
getting older and weaker. In turn, I become more mature in my
career, become knowledgeable and gain a lot of experience in the
field of art.
I have thought much of my peers who thoroughly understand art.
Although I do not have many friends like that, I find that I
have some more every day. And it was their ideas that made me
think a lot about the way I am going.
I think that artists should have qualification of both career
and art. Art and life merge into each other to create a works.
Finally, I remain my belief that the passion for art is an
essential factor to develop the talent.
Dear all,
Thank you for participating in the meeting today.
I am sorry for my mistakes, shortcomings during and after the
exhibition. finally, I would like to send my thank to leaders of
culture sector at different levels, Vietnam Visual Artists
Association and all of my relatives and friends who have helped
me a lot in successfully developing the art exhibition.
I wish you a happy and effective new year and hope that you
would create many interesting and beautiful paintings. That’s
all.
Phai
Fortune and fame are just like floating cloud, Only love
remains with life
On 22nd December 1984, painter Bui Xuan Phai was sponsored by
Vietnam Visual Artists Association to hold his first and only
personal exhibition during his art life. During the 6 month of
preparation, Phai share with his friends: “This important event
makes me fell both pleased and worried. I prevented me from
sleeping every night”
The exhibition opening ceremony was considered an “untie” day to
Phai given the initial stage of the renovation policy made by
the Party and State. For the first time, an entire broadcasting
program was held by Vietnam Television in order to introduce the
life and works of Phai. Since then, the talented painter Bui
Xuan Phai, who, during his all life, worked very hard and
quietly in art for his love to Hanoi, became popular with all
people in and outside Vietnam through articles in newspapers.
His reputation started to spread widely across the world.
Every 22nd December, Phai and his family invited his relatives
and friends to his party, marking the anniversary of the
important event marking a turning point in his career.
Regretfully, Phai could only organize another 3 parties, because
he died in 24th June 1988.
On this occasion, I would like to talk about the paintings sold
in this art exhibition:
108 works were exhibited in the exhibition (oil paintings,
pastels and woodcut paintings). Right in the opening ceremony,
24 paintings were sold. 4 oil paintings were bought by Vietnam
National Museum of Fine Arts. Another 2 oil paintings “Ban Nhac
Cong Cheo” (Group of Vietnam Traditional Opera Executants) and
“Truoc Gio Bieu Dien” (Before Show) were bought by the
Collectors Group of Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Noticeably,
the art exhibition was attended by cultural attaché of France
Embassy Mr. Patrice Jorland. He also specially admired Phai for
his talent. Early in the opening ceremony, he bought 12 oil
paintings. So far, that had been an art exhibition in Hanoi in
which most paintings were sold.
The representative of Vietnam Fine Arts Association, before
opening time, pasted the association’s cards in to the paintings
they had bought. After the exhibition, these two traditional
opera paintings were transferred to the Association. However,
neither Phai nor his family had been given the amount paid for
the paintings. I also asked the person in charge of the
Association about that. He said that because of the change in
currency system made by the State of Vietnam, the Association’s
fund for painting collection had to stop its operation since it
no longer had money. It has been a long time so far. Recently, I
have learned that the Vietnam Fine Arts Association re-sold the
two mentioned paintings to Vietnam National Museum of Fine
Arts. An Association member told that, the amount had been used
to support the Association’s members facing difficulties.
In that exhibition, 4 oil paintings were bought by Vietnam
National Museum of Fine Arts. At that time, the Museum bought
painting based on an available norm; no matter by whom the
paintings were created, they were paid at the same price. Each
painting was paid VND 20, 000 on average. At that time, any
artist who had paintings bought by the Museum considered it a
great gift and honor. Although their paintings were bought based
on an available norm with very low prices, they were very
pleased then, because very few people bought their paintings.
Hang Tre Street painting was also bought by the Museum. Although
the Museum had taken the painting, it did not pay for it
immediately. A short time later, only when it was said that the
State planed to change the currency system did the Museum pay
for the painting. It asked its employees to urge the artist’s
relatives to come and receive the amount. I clearly remember
that I was paid VND 20,000 for that painting. The following day,
the State implemented currency system change with the rate 10:
1, that meant the amount was only worth VND 2,000 then. It was
the precursor of VND 2,000 banknote today. Today, with VND
2,000, you can only buy a cup of tea in a street in Hanoi.
At that time, these issues were also discussed. I know that Phai
was afraid of troubles. In addition, he never wanted to talk
about trading of his works. He often called them “Ly Tai” (name
of a Chinese trader in the past). One of his friends who was a
poet read a poem to encourage him. It had a verse meaning
Fortune and fame are just like floating cloud, Only love remains
with life.
“If two people are predestined for each other, they will
find each other despite distance and time”
In the opening ceremony of Bui Xuan Phai art exhibition on the
occasion of his 90th birthday (1st September 2010), I said some
words to participants. That was the first time I spoke in
public. I was afraid of it and did not like it at all. However,
when I discussed the method of organizing Bui Xuan Phai art
exhibition with the Management Board of Goethe Institute before,
I, a descendant of painter Bui, was required to speak in the
opening ceremony. As a result, I had no other choice but to do
so. It was said that, I was so awkward and embarrassed when I
was speaking, which was quite different from my way of speaking
in feast (I spoke confidently then).
Dear all,
First of all, on behalf of my family, I would like to convey my
thanks to you for your attendance at the opening ceremony of Bui
Xuan Phai art exhibition. I would like to thank Management Board
of Goethe Institute, Vietnam Fine Arts Association, collectors
Bui Quoc Tri and Tran Hau Tuan, those who, together with us,
have contributed to forming this exhibition.
I want to talk more about the predestination between Phai and
Germany inadequately mentioned by the Director. There were four
things:
First: It was the first international gold medal awarded to Phai
in his life. It was an international award for painting
category, awarded by Germany. In that year, an international
books fair was held in Germany. Phai sent his supplements
illustrating the book He Cheo to compete in the fair. And he was
awarded gold medal for these works.
Second: Several months after Phai was awarded the medal by
Germany, in the same year, Phai reached his retirement age.
Under the retirement mechanism then, an artist, before his
retirement, shall enjoy a two-week travel to Germany. Germany
was the first and only foreign country that Phai had chance to
travel to in his life.
Third: It was white paint tubes made in Germany. Anyone who are
an artist know that, in Phai’s time, there were three main types
of paint, including those made in Russia, China and Germany. To
Phai, Russian paint was very hard, Chinese one was very loose.
Of the three main paint types available in the market then, the
German one was his most favorite one. I affirm that almost all
of his oil paintings created from 1970s until he died used
German paint. It can be said that, white paint tubes made in
Germany contributed to forming the painting style of Bui Xuan
Phai.
It is this exhibition that is the fourth thing relating to
predestination between Phai and Germany I want to mention. I
thought a lot about this and find that the predestination is so
mysterious. Someone asked me why I do not hold the exhibition in
other places than Goethe Institute. I cannot explain, just feel
it by a premonition. It seems to be programmed in advance. And I
believe that Germany and Phai had known each other previously.
Thank you very much and please watch the paintings.
Bui Xuan Phai used to have the nickname SIPI
May be Phai’s oldest painting was created in 1948 in a war base.
It was a self-portrait created by iron pen using China ink
signed with the nickname SIPI, dated 12th March 1948. In right
corner of the painting was a dedication "Dear Viet Ho, I present
you Sipi’s self-portrait. When Sipi is not with you, You should
remember him and wish him good health so that he can dedicate to
art.
The artist presented this painting was a learner of an
autumn-winter painting class in the war instructed by Phai. Now
he became a slow and blur-eyed man at the age of 80, the old
artist Luu Ly. People and time changed. 60 years passed.
Experiencing various unrest of the time, the original painting
remains clear with all lines, color gamut, with subtle flavor of
history and breath of the author. Listen to Luu Ly’s words about
how he has respected and kept the painting: “In rainy days when
it was cold and windy, I put this painting in the warmest area.
When I had to carry it in the rain, I would cover it by leaving
my body suffer from rain and coldness to protect this precious
painting”.
Oh! What a courageous and romantic artist; and what a persistent
and passionate preserver! Art can exist thanks to not only the
talent of artist, but also the heart of people! After 60 years,
through various ups and downs as well as changes of the history,
this painting has become the treasure of artist Luu Ly. Since,
to him, it was a great nostalgia given to him by the master
artist, and was a fortune in his life!
When being asked why Phai signed his paintings with the nick
name SIPI, the guy Luu Ly replied “Phai told me that Sipi is an
abbreviation from the nickname of an aircraft of French
military. Once in the air is a fiery Speed Fire, Sipi Phai in
the earth is burning with his art!”
It is known that, many collectors have sought artist Luu Ly and
tried to persuade the old artist to re-sell them the
self-portrait. However, all of them were rejected. Recently,
after keeping the painting for a long time, the old artist found
that he was very old and may die anytime. So he decided to give
it to a skilled collector who has collected paintings of all
famous artists in his most prestigious private collection in
Vietnam.
Watching Bui Xuan Phai portrays
Painter Bui Xuan Phai was highly admired by friends and fellows
for his skillfulness and polish in the area of portray, not as
in the ancient street of Hanoi as people thought.
Of thousands portraits by Bui Xuan Phai, all deeply expressed
the characteristic and appearance of each person without
reiteration. In each portrait painting of Bui Xuan Phai, people
realized that it was made by master drawing which was fine and
polish and it seemed to understand deep inside the soul and
mind, exposing the characteristic of each person, from
illiterate farmer, fat militia girl, the old and red-eye lady
selling vegetable on the street to the painting collector and
writer…All these portrays can be easily understood by the viewer
without seeing the title.
People who lived at the same age with Bui Xuan Phai still
remember about parties with his presence. As usual, people
usually gave him a white cloth or paper with brush. It was the
most expected moment of the party. Every people, all of them are
painter (it never happens now), were gathered around to see him
portray. Bui Xuan Phai did it quick and surprised people by the
resemblance and liveliness. It was great honor for those who
were chosen as model. At the end of the party, as portray
finished, it was given to the host of the party. If that party
was in Bui Xuan Phai’s place, the portrait would be given to a
guest woman.
I still remember some of girlfriends who had been invited to my
house during those days. Now, their children are grown up, even
some of them are grandmothers. Every time I met them, they
excitingly recalled such memories with gratitude for the
portrait given by Bui Xuan Phai. Some of them proudly shown that
they still kept the painting of the painter until today, but
some, due to hard circumstances, could not fight again the
strike of the collectors, had to sell them. I have been told by
friends a lot of sad stories about the separation with the
painter’s keepsake in tears and inconsolable regret.
Buy one, get two for free
Today, Natasha visits and talks about her plan to organize an
exhibition of paintings collection of Vietnamese painter that
Natasha collected from 1980s, 1990s of the previous century.
This is very interesting and respectable intention. Natasha
opened her camera to show some of my paintings in this period.
It was quite a long time and my artistic point of view has been
changed according to each period of life. Generally, as seeing
the paintings that I made from beginning the journey of the
artistic life, I was not contented. These paintings were heavily
influenced by Phai’s class. But they had belonged to Natasha. If
I still keep them, they would be absolutely blanked. I told
Natasha: “Their values are to hold the trace of the past, I do
it differently now”. I shown my disappointment and did not want
Natasha to display them in the exhibition that she was planning.
I did not know whether she agreed or not but I thought that as
painters still alive, they have the right to express their ideas
about their work and they might agree or not to take part in the
public exhibition.
Natasha is the wife of the late painter Vu Dan Tan. They have a
gallery at 30 Hang Bong street named Salon Natasha. It can be
said that this is the first private gallery in Hanoi. Salon
Natasha was established in 1990. Before that time, from 1981,
only Phuong’s paintings were presented in this gallery for the
reason that Phuong’s paintings were loved by Vu Dan Tan and he
encouraged Phuong to send paintings for him to introduce to
foreign customer for sale. So it can be said that Phuong is the
first painter to work with Salon Natasha.
After talking about the exhibition that Natasha is planning,
story goes to Bui Xuan Phai. Everywhere, every meeting or
party, if there is someone who lived in the same age or met or
knew painter Bui Xuan Phai, stories about him are excitingly
told.
Natasha had recalled her memories with Bui Xuan Phai: I still
kept all the paintings that he given to me or bought from him.
As having friends visited, I shown them Phai’s painting
collection and asked them to select the best one. The
interesting thing was that they always chose the best paintings
that Bui Xuan Phai gave to me for free as I bought painting from
him. At that time, Bui Xuan Phai was compassionate about me
because I was poor, but I did not want to receive gift painting
from him. So every time I visit him I manage to buy a small
painting. Every time, before I left, Bui Xuan Phai told me:
“Wait for me, I will give you a painting”. The painting that he
gave me for free was always nicer and more expensive than the
one I bough.
A story about Phai’s street
Since 1956, after getting involved with Nhân văn- giai phẩm
affair, Bui Xuan Phai has been banned to compose. His name was
not allowed to appear in the papers in this period. To earn his
living, Bui Xuan Phai had to used different names such as Vi Vu,
Pi Ha, Ly, Pha Y signed in the paintings and comics in the
newspapers that time.
From 1950 to 1962, in his lacquer works, he often used the
signature with full name BUI XUAN PHAI.
By 1980, he seemed to find the most stable and suitable style
for him. Since then, no more change has been made in his
signature.
In the early 1960s, writer Nguyen Tuan had punned, borrowing the
ancient name of Hoi An which was Phai Pho to change it to Phai
Pho (Phai’s street). It had become the word of mouth of people
calling his paintings about Hanoi as Phai’s street. Which one is
more famous, Phai Pho or Pho Phai? It had been integrated into
his works accidentally, because Phai Pho (Phai’s street), for
French speaking people, it would be understood as fake painting
of Phai: Phai faux (faux in French means fake). And the rumor
goes that Phai had been painted a lot, but after his death,
“Phai faux” also pained a lot more. Bui Xuan Phai is the most
famous painter of Viet Nam. He is also the victim of the fake
paintings. People said that his art had kept alive and made
fortune for many people after his death in 1988 by lung cancer.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the art connoisseur had changed his name
to: Buồn Xuân Pho (sad spring street), because street in his
painting was desolate and sad, like an unmanned ancient city.
Many of his street paintings were depicted with solitary,
silence and dolefulness. Not until the end of his life, in
1980s, did his painting positive. Warm color of sun and red
cloth passing street were started to appear. People supposed
that the big success of his first private exhibition in 1984 had
great influence in his creativity inspiration: the feeling of
being convicted had been fully untied and released. For the
first time in that year, his life and works had been broadcasted
nationwide in Central Television.
Along with such changes, there was an accident like fate had
attached the work of Bui Xuan Phai with word and name Phai Pho (Phai’s
street). In 1981, Phai has been sent to Quảng Nam- Đŕ Nẵng. As
he set foot in Hoi An, he was surprised by the fascinating
beauty of Hoi An street. It was totally different with those in
Hanoi that he painted before. Because of having no winter here
so the sky is always blue and the sun is spreading out all
streets. This greatly affected his view and artistic concept
which were ancient streets of Hanoi in winter time with heavy
and leaden sky. Since that year, his street paintings had been
changed to lighter colors, less desolate and lonesome. His
streets now have more people. Turquoise was applied more often
than grey as previously.
One more meaningful thing is that after he died, Đŕ Nẵng was the
first city to name Bui Xuan Phai for a street.
By 1980s, it seemed that his street paintings wanted to say
goodbye with Grey and Brown period. Another thing that
influenced his style in this turquoise period was that during
the end years of his life (from 1980 to 1988), all of his
children had grown up and independent, so the economic burden
was lifted. The country was started to change to renovation
period. At the same time, foreign customer was allowed to visit
his workshop and buy his paintings. It can be said that, during
the end years of his life, the work of Bui Xuan Phai had been in
the hand of customer right after finished.
The uniqueness in Cheo’s painting of Bui Xuan Phai
Beside street topic that contributed to make the name of Bui
Xuan Phai spread far and far beyond the border of the country
and become a celebrity at international level because of his
artistic life and huge number of art works, Bui Xuan Phai still
had other “tricky” topic that was Cheo. In this topic, he was
also occupied the absolute position in the painting community of
Viet Nam. As mentioning about Cheo painting, Bui Xuan Phai is
the first painter who should be taken into consideration with
outstanding works on this topic. No one denied the fact that
Cheo’s Phai has reached the utmost beauty on painting in the
point of view of folklore stage. It can be said that outstanding
works of Bui Xuan Phai on Cheo have disheartened those who wish
to enter into this topic. Before and after his death, no painter
had success work in the Cheo topic.
No precise statistic has been made on how many works Bui Xuan
Phai has made in the Cheo topic, but people knew that his first
work on this topic was signed in 1961. In this topic, his
paintings were less meditative and lonesome than that in the
street painting topic. Paintings on Cheo topic contained funny
folk aesthetic of Northern villages. Drunken clown, stick joker,
singer, mirroring young girl or backstage scenes of actors
before performing time … are revived by the language of painting
which is colloquial and conventional like Cheo’s performance.
Critics assumed that aesthetic reaction of Bui Xuan Phai to the
Cheo stage is friendly and humane. Bui Xuan Phai has joined
himself into festivities with the sound and rhythm of Northern
village, intending to discover one more national painting color.
Bui Xuan Phai has made specific language for Cheo by the unique
language of painting, imbued with national identity (as people
called it). His character, a variation of thousand years of
countrymen, appears poetry, deeply and delicately.
In 1961, Bui Xuan Phai decorated for Golden silk cord play. From
this, he discovered the good and beauty of Cheo, creating his
own view and supplementing an important topic to his gigantic
artistic heritage. In contrary with ancient street topic, in the
Cheo topic, along with the illustrators for the Cheo clown book
in 1981 and illustrators for Ho Xuan Huong poem that made people
discover a young and funny Bui Xuan Phai.
I have witnessed one of Bui Xuan Phai Cheo’s paintings was paid
70.000 USD by an international collector, but the owner just
smiled and refused to sell. It is common sense that money cannot
be used to measure the value of the art, because numbers cannot
tell much, even inaccurate. And some works of other Vietnamese
painters might exceed the price of Bui Xuan Phai paintings. But
taking into consideration in terms of devoting to the national
cultural heritage with variety and outstanding as those of Phai,
no one can do like him before and after his age. Up to now,
personality and talent of Bui Xuan Phai are still the top of
mountain pass that challenges other Vietnamese painter and
people realize that it is hard to overcome.
Bui Xuan Phai with nude painting
In painting, nude topic has been seen ups and downs and was
taken very close watch. Some people like to see, some like to
draw, but for some people, as mentioning about nude they sake
their head an turn conversation. But this topic still exists for
hundreds of years. It can be said that every painter does nude
painting more than once.
Nude painting started its journey from Europe to Ecole des Beaux
Arts d'Indochine in Hanoi. Nude women topic also infiltrated and
occupied the heart and mind of painters who graduated from this
school; however, it was not fully exploited as in the Europe.
From the beginning, painters just only did “light” topics such
as motherhood, Girl by tuberoses… The reason was that during the
1930s, Vietnamese society was not fully liberated from feudal
rites. The concept of “no touch between opposite sex” was so
prevalent that nude painting was impossible (with the naked
figure in the guestroom). Cleavage like Le Mur long dress (Ao
dai Le Mur) was also too cool.
In the modern art market, nude painting is always hot and vogue
topic. Some artists take nude paintings as a reason or basic to
express their aesthetic idea. But some do it not for that
purpose, but for describing the beauty of woman, from body to
face. That is the case of Modigliani. Among the painters so far,
no painter is able to draw woman as beautiful as Modigliani.
Talking about this talented painter with nude painting, whoever
well-informed of painting is highly admired the talent of
handsome and vagabond artist (he died very young, 37 years
old).
Did Vietnamese painters like nude painting? The answer was yes.
But the lack of condition of model and workshop made them unable
to do it or if they could, they did it without model. Nude
painting had been seen in some painters, but seeing their
paintings viewers had come to realize that they made it up and
no model. Therefore, their works are usually superficial, less
communicative and hard to be persuasive aesthetically and
sexually.
Painter Bui Xuan Phai fond of nude painting topic and he did
quite a lot. This topic had been extensively exploited by him
during the 1960s of the last century. By that time, Bui Xuan
Phai was at age of forty, so he was at the peak of creativity
energy as well as passion for the beauty of women body. Almost
all of his nude paintings were real (with model). At that time,
he usually came to his friend’s house that had workshop to draw.
His groups often comprised of 3 to 4 painters. They shared money
to hire model for painting. Nearly half century past, but his
friends still recalled famous and beautiful models at that time
such as miss Thom, miss Hoa…
It seemed contrary that old, good-natured and shy painter Bui
Xuan Phai had surprised people by his small nude paintings.
Gestures that he drawn by heart had become Phai’s specifics and
typical for Vietnamese women: hunching backs, pants under hips
while prepare bathing, girls of Ho Xuan Huong poem that makes
“gentlemen do not want to leave… ”. He said: “ my nude paintings
were just passed ideas that belonged to the past”. However, as
seeing his paintings, it was supposed that Bui Xuan Phai was the
person who took great pains on practicing drawing. It was said
that he was the best painter on drawing. Therefore, his
imagination was so magnificent due to the fact that he was so
absorbed and familiar with each rhythm and curve in the body of
a woman. And we also knew that how powerful as the energy was
suppressed. The older the age the more painting on erotic was
usual. Picasso is the typical one.
Artist Phuong introduced to you some paintings of Bui Xuan Phai
on nude topic that after finishing, he hurriedly faced it down
against the wall because the house was small and many children
went in and out his workshop, including me.
Abstract painting of Bui Xuan Phai
What is art? Bui Xuan Phai always sought for the answer by
different ways, from figurative or non-figurative. He was
absorbed in searching for the true value of art with experiments
in abstract works. In this topic, viewers recognized that it was
not exaggerating to be worldly-wise or it was not using too much
art techniques to make it complicated and hard to understand,
all abstract works in this topic were carefully and seriously
drawn. Seeing abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai, people
realized that he was so influenced by Street. Some people wanted
to name the series of abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai as
“Street unconscious”. It seemed reasonable that Bui Xuan Phai
had expanded the feeling of viewer to infinity. You can find the
signs of street with roofs, gables, windows, trees, sun and some
human figures in the abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai.
There was an abstract paintings exhibition of Bui Xuan Phai in
87 Thuoc Bac street. In this exhibition, for the first time, 37
abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai had been displayed for
public viewer of the capital. This topic, together with nude
painting, was categorized as “taboo” at the time Bui Xuan Phai
lived. By that time, when finished, painter had to face it down
again the wall or put it into trunk. I remembered, whenever Bui
Xuan Phai finished a series of abstract paintings, he only
opened the tin trunk where he kept nude and abstract paintings
for very close friends who familiar with art to see them. When
seeing these abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai, I suddenly
recalled the image of Bui Xuan Phai opening the tin trunk,
taking out each painting and introducing to his friends. And I
could hear them whisper, discuss and comment excitingly,
together with giggle sometimes…
Note: abstract paintings of Bui Xuan Phai in the art market had
become abstract and hard to understand as themselves, because of
the surprise it made as it triggering the passion and excitement
of the international collector. Almost all abstract paintings of
Bui Xuan Phai were hunted and bought by international collector.
Up to now, there are only 2 or 3 abstract paintings of Bui Xuan
Phai in Viet Nam that belonged to collector Tran Hau Tuan who is
now living in Sai Gon.
Bui Xuan Phai with Tet painting
It was not known exactly when Bui Xuan Phai drawing Tet
painting. It was known that the first painting “Teacher” was
done on the Tet of 1957. Since then, as spring comes he often
began new-year drawing with various topics: teacher, drunken old
man, girl embracing flower, still-life… but mainly teacher
painting. In “Teacher” Tet painting of Bui Xuan Phai, viewer
realized that he manifested the spirit of the painting according
to the mood of each year. It could be the feeling of the viewer
so that they categorized and named for each “Teacher” Tet
painting of Bui Xuan Phai as: large customer teacher, drunken
teacher… In each “Teacher” painting, the most interesting and
also valuable thing are the signature of the author.
For the photographer Tran Van Luu, Bui Xuan Phai had given him
more favor than other friends by giving him and his family a
large-size poster to welcome New Year. About the Tet painting
for Mr. Luu, it was funny and lively: if it is the year of the
Horse, the painter drawn Mr. Luu leading the hours; if it is the
year of buffalo, the painter drawn Mr. Luu riding buffalo; ; if
it is the year of goat, the painter drawn Mr. Luu embracing
goat. For the year of tiger, because Mr. Luu was passed away, so
I missed the chance to ask Mr. Luu how Bui Xuan Phai drawing
Mr. Luu by the tiger. It is because that in the 12 animal
designation series, tiger was missed.
Not until the country re-united in 1975, as some of his friends
moved to Ho Chi Minh city, the hand-drawing greeting card of Bui
Xuan Phai began to appear. The reason was that he received
greeting card from his friend in the South and he needed to
reply to them. He sent the letter with the hand-drawing greeting
card with saying Happy New Year to Lưu Công Nhân, Trần Trung
Tín, Thái Tuấn. Trần Văn Nuôi...Gradually, friends in Hanoi
loved it and as usual habit, before Tet, they passed by Thuoc
Bac street to give him pack of tea or bottle of wine and asked
him for hand-drawing Happy New Year card.
At the time of Bui Xuan Phai, as Tet comes, people had the habit
of buying pre-printed card “New year, New victory”, then write
the greeting words on the back. Hand-drawing greeting card was
rarely used. Only Bui Xuan Phai did so in this time. But Bui
Xuan Phai only gave hand-drawing greeting card for those in the
artistic community. For several times, painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem
presented Bui Xuan Phai very nice Tet painting of 12 animals. As
I remembered the Tet painting class was done for fun and for
souvenir. Collectors only paid their attention to the stature
works, no one ever asked or ordered Tet painting. Even painter
did it, it was not for sale. They did it just for souvenir.
Last year, Sotheby’s had introduced the New year greeting card
of Bui Xuan Phai and sold with the price of 6.000 USD. This was
the highest price known for the hand-drawing greeting card of
Bui Xuan Phai. The size of this painting was just as small as
envelop that he did it as new year come for his friends.
Of the 12 animals, there are two which specifically fond of by
Bui Xuan Phai and he drawn them quite a lot, that are cat and
horse. For horse only, it has presented in many important works
of Bui Xuan Phai.
Drunken old men topic was also favorite one of Bui Xuan Phai as
spring comes. He often begins new year drawing by drunken old
men painting. It was not clear that whether he wanted to be
drunk all year around or not, but for the passion of art he was
really drunk all the year.
Remembering as Bui Xuan Phai drawing, suddenly comes the voice
of writer Tran Le Van from the door:
- Mr. Phai, drunken old men died. This Tet has no fun without
drunken old man.
Hearing that, Bui Xuan Phai started, he asked his friend in a
thunderstruck voice:
- Who die? Which drunken old man?
Writer Tran Le Van told him:
- Last time, you gave me drunken old man painting. I took it
home. As passing by West lake, strong wind blew away the
painting. So drunken old man jumped into the lake and
disappeared.
Now Bui Xuan Phai understood. He smiled and replied:
- I will give you another one. That drunken old man is still in
mine. It cannot be lost. I just wave my hand and then he
appears. It is easy.
The first and the last Street painting
Phai’s painting lover is everywhere but very few people has the
chance to have their own eyes contemplating these artworks.
Recently, a rare exhibition named “Works of Bui Xuan Phai over
time” held in Goethe Institute, Hanoi to celebrate his 90th
birthday has brought about fresh feeling to viewer. At this
exhibition, though 36 paintings from family collection, Tran Hau
Tuan and Bui Quoc Chi collector are unremarkable numbers, but it
is the great effort of the artwork owner presenting to the
painting lover, in which there is meaningful painting: Hang Phen
street.
All his life, Bui Xuan Phai draws a lot of paintings with
various topics, but the most successful one is the lacquer
painting. During his study in Ecole des Beaux Arts d' Indochine,
his work has been sent abroad to participate in an exhibition in
Tokyo when he was very young in terms of both age and carrier.
Lacquer painting “Hang Phen street” has been sold immediately at
that time. But it was pretty pity that no one knew where it was
and people only knew that this was the first painting he sold
and also the first painting about street topic. By that time, he
was 20 years old. But it was his deep concern because, until
now, nobody knows where the original of “Hang Phen street”. The
loss of trace of “Hang Phen street” painting made him so sad.
Later, in the end years of his life lying on the bed, struggling
against the lung cancer, he redrew the “Hang Phen street”
painting. It was a bit pity that the painting was unfinished. At
present, that unfinished painting is in the collection of Tran
Hau Tuan collector. Until the end of his life, it was the
concern of the artist whose life stick with Hanoi. It was not
the sadness about his first one that made the mark to the world
painting, but also the sadness about the corner street of Hanoi
that could not be seen. Passing by Hang Phen, Hang Mam street …
people can see now the poles, roofs and also Hanoi girls, but
people cannot find the silence, lonesome of the street corners
of the old Hanoi that presented in the painting of Bui Xuan
Phai. That is the reason why the Hang Phen street painting would
never finish.
From the 1960s of the last century, at the age of 40, he was
recognized as the master painter in the Vietnamese painting with
the new painting language. Thousands of paintings, ten thousands
of houses, hundreds of portrays… under his drawing seem
containing strange spirit with specific tempo and hidden love
about Hanoi. That is the reason why Phai’s street painting
lovers want to seek and keep his drawing. It is just to keep for
future generation to see the beauty of Hanoi that has dim
sadness but full of memories and love.
The last drawing of Bui Xuan Phai for himself was his foot. The
paragraph “while sick, time passes by slowly! Especially dawn”
was placed near the foot, on the sketch, expressing slightly as
the breath of people setting foot on the boundary of the death
and live. That foot has gone through many ups and downs of
time.
Emergency exit of Bui Xuan Phai
In a opening ceremony of illustrator and small painting
exhibition of Bui Xuan Phai, Mr. Kim Sang Ug – Director of
Cultural Center of Korea in Hanoi talked with me via charming
and enthusiastic female interpreter.
Mr. Lim Hong Jae said: “I am so impressed with painter Bui Xuan
Phai, teacher Bui Xuan Phai and also Bui Xuan Phai humanism,
especially his portraits. It shown the special attention as well
as the deep understanding that painter dedicated to human. Many
of his works seemed made up with a smile”.
As seeing the illustrator for book and magazine, connoisseur all
understood that it was the sideline job of Bui Xuan Phai that
helped him earn the living during the hardship. By that time,
illustrator drawing was considered the main source of income for
him. It was very illustrators placed every day in the newspapers
that made his name publicly known from long time ago, not the
stature artistic works.
The highest international prize that he won was the Gold prize
for drawing (Leipzig- Democratic Republic of Germany, prize for
drawing, illustrator for “Cheo clown” book in 1982). Therefore,
it can be said that, illustrator of Bui Xuan Phai accounted for
important part in his carrier. That is also the exit for Bui
Xuan Phai to public. When alive, he drew at least 2 to 3
illustrators a week on newspapers. If counting from 1952 to
1988, the number of illustrators was so huge.
There was reason that Bui Xuan Phai had the habit and fond of
drawing small-size painting. Today, a lot of people are
interested in the “mini-painture” of Bui Xuan Phai, but little
knew why the author did it. At the time of Bui Xuan Phai, not
only the painter was poor, but also the art lover. Even they
were poorer than him. But the art of Bui Xuan Phai had
fascinated people, therefore, those small paintings were the
answer to respond to the sentiment that people gave to his art.
It is easy to understand that small painting would use less
paint, quicker and the painter would have more time for other
paintings. Right from that time, this small painting was called,
in funny way, emergency exit of Bui Xuan Phai.
Guest often asked the small painting that was almost in the palm
as souvenir when visited his house. Bui Xuan Phai took out brush
and paint, then finish with ease. His way of drawing, for those
knowledgeable in art judged that: the faster the drawing, the
nicer the painting and especially the most moved paintings was
when he was drunk. He said: “when jump into drawing, I need wine
just for both igniting and helping myself more confident and
venturous”.
Today, experts in Phai’s painting when looking at each painting
of Bui Xuan Phai can estimate how much he had drank.
It is an additional information about “mini-painture” on the
pack of cigarette, matchbox or on the small carton. Bui Xuan
Phai did it partly because of humoring his friend and it was
also one of his pleasures that consume less time and material.
At that time, fan of Phai’s painting was pleased as he gave them
some mini-painture, and they also respected his artistic work.
They normally did not take it for free. In return, they gave him
a bottle of wine, pack of tea or tobacco. For Mr. Bong in Hang
Buom Street, due to the fact that he is painting collector,
therefore, the more Bui Xuan Phai gave him, the more Mr. Bong
wants. Later on, Bui Xuan Phai though that it was enough, he
stopped give him painting. So Mr. Bong found another way. He
called each “mini-painture” a coupon (coupon for eating Pho). He
visited Bui Xuan Phai each evening. If he saw nice
“mini-painture”, he took that painting and shouted: “here the
coupon” and put it into his pocket and invite painter to eat Pho
at late night.
At present, the price of each coupon (painting on the cigarette
pack of Bui Xuan Phai) is up to 1.000 USD. That is the price
paid by the collector, and then who knows that painting will be
sold at which price.
Some people, due to economic reason, had no choice to sell such
“mini-painture” of Bui Xuan Phai for foreign collector. I have
heard some moved stories from Bui Xuan Phai’s friends of how
they have to break up with these paintings. One of Bui Xuan
Phai’s friends, Mr. Sanh Thi, told me in tears:
- I did not believe that Mr. Phai had fed me during the last
years of my life.
I remembered such mini paintings were called “mini-painture” in
French by writer Nguyen Tuan. Sometimes, Nguyen Tuan visited Bui
Xuan Phai and said:
- Please give me some “mini-painture” for the foreign guest who
is coming to Hanoi to see me.
The presence of “mini-painture” of Bui Xuan Phai had impressed
the foreigners. They love his mini paintings and called it
“bijou” (jewelry) as they want to say that though its size is
small, but its value is big. According to Mrs. Don Thu, the
manager of No.7 Hang Khay gallery (from 1980): Mr. Blanche
Maison alone, former ambassador of French, had bought up to 200
mini paintings of Bui Xuan Phai.
I only repainted my dream
Bui Xuan Phai artist painted a painting of a naked young girl
sleeping on roofs of Hanoi’s ancient quarter. The picture amazed
viewers. People wondered and asked him to explain more clearly
about his ideas on the painting. Bui Xuan Phai answered: I only
repainted my dream and I myself wondered why I had that dream”.
An officer of Vietnam Fine Art, after submitting France’s
invitation letter and Phai’s aspiration to authorities, received
a result that Phai was not permitted to exit. The officer
advised Phai to refuse the invitation under the pretext of flu.
As a result, Bui Xuan Phai missed the trip to France that year,
though his health was in a condition. He therefore has regretted
for a long time and I still saw him moaning with his friends.
There was time, one of his friends; Văn Cao musician comforted
him with a joke: Your flu is a contemporary flu. His friends
hearing that burst out laughing.
Several years after that, in 1988 he was permitted to travel to
the West thanks to mobilization of CCFD organization and action
of French government; however, he failed to realize his dreams!
If Bui Xuan Phai said, “I believe in my fate”, then his fate is
actually unfair to him! Even when he received invitation from
France together with official permission of the Vietnamese State
and he did have the flight ticket, the death still brought him
away. He died of lung cancer on June 24th, 1988 at the age of
68. Taking about Phai’s missed trip to France, people said “It
is a thousand pities for Bui Xuan Phai, art and for Vietnam”. It
sounds logical, as French wanted to organize an art exhibition
for Bui Xuan Phai’s paintings in Paris at that time.
I know that Bui Xuan Phai missed chances to realize his two
biggest dreams in life; one is a Studio – a private room for him
to mix painting tools without any outside interference in his
own world. He often felt angry when his folks arranged the tools
in order. He said, “His disorder was an order to him as he could
find what he needed”. He painted thousands of ancient quarter’s
paintings, created tens thousands of houses in paintings, but he
could not build up a real Studio for his own. After all, Phai’s
dreams are not too big for his life and talent to realize, the
real reason is due to his time. At the same time of Bui Xuan
Phai, numbers of other talents met no less difficulties compared
to him. Nowadays, only with some of his paintings sold, they can
easily buy a house, which he has ever dreamed about during his
whole life.
Visiting France is his second dream. He would visit the most
world famous museum-Louvre and paid a visit to Picasso’s house,
where he lived and worked. Bui Xuan Phai said he was an excited
fan to Picasso’s art. His life dreams could be realized easily
in paintings exactly as he said, "I only repainted my dreams".
I only know how to build houses in paintings
I participated in organizing the first and only personal
exhibition of Bui Xuan Phai in 1984. This was a successful and
impressive exhibition to the public. Never before had any
exhibitions sold more paintings and earned more money than his
exhibition in Vietnam. 24 paintings were sold out right in its
inauguration ceremony.
In those days, people had no concepts of dollar bill and they
measured values of art works in gold tael. Normally, a painting
of 60cm X 80cm of Bui Xuan Phai was worth two taels at that
time, and one tael for a smaller one; however, with one and two
taels of gold, one family would be considered rich at that time.
And with one troy ounce of gold, the family must explain to
authorities why they had unless they would be charged with
dubious property storage.
At the end of that day, we collected 2.5 taels of gold. My
mother was very happy; meanwhile Bui Xuan Phai was so worried.
He said “So much money! I don’t know what to do with the
amount?” I therefore replied quickly to calm him down: “I will
call some masons to build up our family kitchen tomorrow so that
we don’t have to share common kitchen with others as our
family’s longing”. Bui Xuan Phai gave a nod of assent.
While the masons were constructing a small kitchen in the yard
(our family’s use area), authorities came to stop our
construction and summoned Bui Xuan Phai to their offices to
clarify issues mentioned in a letter of complaint they received.
I explained to them that I myself implemented the construction
not Bui Xuan Phai; however, they did not listen to me, because
in case of receiving any letters of complaint, in principal,
they would summon head of the household.
Bui Xuan Phai came to their offices in bewilderment, as he did
not know how to answer. He told them “in my whole life, I only
know to build houses in paintings. Building real houses belong
to my folks’ business, and only they know answers to solve the
problem,” I was then summoned. I explained to them that our
living area had a common kitchen for three households; I
therefore built up a new kitchen for my family instead of
sharing the kitchen with the two other families. Then the
authorities told the two other households about the fact and
they were so happy because both of them could share the whole
big kitchen. Immediately, they and my mansions divided the
kitchen in two halves. It proved a fact that no one likes to
share anything with the public, collectives, especially kitchens
and toilets in daily life.
After solving the issue satisfactorily, in one day, chairman of
my ward met me and whispered: “Normally, to reach goals, people
should do “something”. I have no intentions, but actually I
really want to have a painting of Phai as a souvenir”. In those
days, Phai’s paintings were only for memory; his paintings were
used for entertainment and no one wanted to buy them. I came
back home and told Bui Xuan Phai about his aspiration. Bui Xuan
Phai smiled and said “We should know what topic he is interested
in to give him a painting “I then came to ask the chairman:
“What topics do you like, Street or Cheo (Traditional Opera)?”
He said loudly “Street”
The painting that Bui Xuan Phai gave the chairman was “Hang Bac
Street”. After Phai’s death, collectors knew the story and often
came to persuade him to sell the painting at a very high price.
However, the ex-chairman always replied them that “The painting
is my memory with Bui Xuan Phai artist.”
The smallest “Studio” in the world of a well-known
artist
The house at No. 87 of Thuốc Bắc Street was built a very long
time ago that no one could remember exactly the year it was
constructed because it was built after Bui Xuan Phai’s birth.
Phai lived with his family on Hang Thiec Street before that
time. His childhood passed by on Hang Thiec Street, and he
learnt at Trí Tri School on Hang Quat Street. The school could
be called the oldest one in Hanoi (currently its name is changed
into Nguyễn Văn Tố).
When studying at secondary school, his family moved to the house
no 87 of Thuốc Bắc Street. Based on the information, we could
define that the house was built in 1935, when Bui Xuan Phai was
15 years old. The house was built in French architecture,
designed by Bui Xuan Phai’s brother after he finished his
architecture study in France.
To know previous “condition” of the house, I redeemed almost
compartments in the house (grandfather sold, grandson redeemed),
and it is necessary to understand that most of Hanoi’s houses
before 1954 were built for each family household to live.
Therefore, each compartment has its own functions such as living
room, dining room, bedroom, stock... However, when taking over
the Capital, people broke down the standard by filling up one
compartment with one household. As a result, the households had
to extend, occupy outside areas, creating the only chaotic
architecture style in the world. After buying some compartments
at no 87, Thuoc Bac Street, my first job is to “return the first
condition to the house” I had mansions to bust all old parts
that did not belong to the house’s first architecture.
Phai’s society was in a too hard condition! People would be very
surprised if knowing that Bui Xuan Phai only had more than 1m2
of area – a too “small” working corner for such a hardworking
and creative artist with unforgettable paintings like him. He
also had a private attic, which was not only hot, dark but also
stuffy. Every day, he therefore painted in the house corner on a
table and chair set for guests. People visited him at that time
often saw him talking with guests, drinking wine and painting at
the same time. Almost every day, he was visited by guests of
different working fields. After getting drunk, they quarreled
with each other. As a host, Bui Xuan Phai had to “tolerate” and
stand in between to conciliate.
Many times, he complained: “I wish to have a Studio to paint and
to hide myself from people”. Because there was only one room in
the house, guests therefore caught Bui Xuan Phai right after
they came to the house, and he could not hide. As there was no
standard Studio, rarely did Bui Xuan Phai paint oil paintings of
big size. Whenever he wanted to paint the big ones, he had to
carry canvas and all his painting tools to the common yard to
paint. Therefore, he was bothered by neighboring children as
they came to see, disturb and steal his painting tools. As a
result, whenever he tried to focus on completing a painting of
big size (for exhibitions), he would get sick, one part because
of losing energy, another part due to anger with the children.
His most favorite working place was the house corner, I am sure
that is the smallest “Studio” in the world for a well-known
artist.
The Studio is a life dream of Bui Xuan Phai, but he missed
chances to realize the simple dream forever.
A passed period
Bui Xuan Phai said, “When viewing paintings, do not believe in
art critics, as they are wrong right at the first time. They use
languages, the tool different from art, not shapes and
pigments”. He then smiled in a humorous way. In Bui Xuan Phai’s
period, artists hesitated to view paintings with inferences. Any
paintings would have some problem and their artist would be
involved in complications if people commented the paintings in
many different ways. That may be the reason why “maitre” never
discusses their paintings and arts whenever they meet. They
often comment on art tendencies in the world.
Following are one of Bui Xuan Phai’s paintings, which were
commented badly in Nhan Van – Giai Pham’s period. People blamed
artists that they described life of new regime with a gloomy and
pessimistic look: one wearing a palm-leaf raincoat, stand in
rain tremblingly, even a bull has no grass on the field to eat,
a banyan without leaves, looks like a monster, ranging its
scrubby branches to every where... At present, reviewing the
paintings, those things sound funny to us as people inferred
them all. All of the ideas were beyond composing concepts of
artists. Even they had wanted to; they could not have
transferred all in art works.
A friend of Bui Xuan Phai told me about “Ô Quan Chưởng” painting
(known as one of the nicest paintings of Bui Xuan Phai), which
was commented by an officer before opening an exhibition: “Oh,
Is this called a painting?! – crossed two hands after his back,
the officer stand long before the painting to view– Is Hanoi the
capital of Vietnam, a country developing to Socialism or a dead
city? You see: Hanoi city has no person, only blazing sun with
full flamboyant felling down like blood, a cyclo also has no
rider... If only had the painting some cranes in the background
with a hint that we were constructing, we then could accept it,
but...!” The painting immediately was rejected from the
exhibition. After telling the story, Bui Xuan Phai’s friend
commented, “I feel so sorry for our country’s artists at that
time. They did not want to oppose or hint at, harass anything.
They only wanted to live in peace to do their favorite jobs. Yet
they could not realize it!”
Bui Xuan Phai did not like metaphoric painting style or filling
up paintings with ideas. He said that a painting should not
function as literature to transfer ideas that made it worse,
more stressful, easily melodramatic and mediocre.
“In dyeing workshop” painting was displayed in the first
personal exhibition of Bui Xuan Phai in 1984. A Mexican viewer
asked me a very rare question: “Which painting is the most
expensive in the exhibition of Bui Xuan Phai?” I pointed out the
painting “In dyeing workshop”. He then asked “Why is it the most
expensive one meanwhile in my opinion, it is not the most
beautiful one in the exhibition?” I explained: “Simply as I do
not want to sell it.”
The “In dyeing workshop” painting has ever been a victim of
inference. Firstly, its layout was different, a round shaped
machine like a well on the left of the painting, and a male
worker was leaning his hand beside it. Viewers commented that,
why the male worker did nothing but leaning on the well. His
salary was so little for him to live on that he wanted to
oppose. Hearing the opinions, Bui Xuan Phai removed the male
worker from the painting to avoid complications. Nowadays,
looking at the painting again, I feel so pity as its first
layout makes the painting more vivid and removal of the male
worker “leaning his hand on the well” affected its rhythm
balance.
“Hanoi of years 46” painting was painted by Bui Xuan Phai in
1966 and shown in an exhibition in the same year. The painting
was criticized strictly on a newspaper at that time writing that
its painter still remembered longingly boring, gloomy and old
remains. Art of the spirit could not go with development of new
time. Finally, the “bad art critic” concluded in one sentence
“Two soldiers in the painting bring fuzzy content for the
painting only, actually Bui Xuan Phai paint them as a pretext to
paint ancient quarter”. The critic was LTD artist (I am still
keeping the newspaper). However, it was so funny that the artist
in the final years of his life paid regular and close visits to
Bui Xuan Phai with his admiration to Bui Xuan Phai’s talent.
There was a time; artistic literature was sensed with inference,
which affected negatively on it. What are purposes of the
negative inference? The stupid people said so irresponsibly that
authors were disappointed, fearful and then lost their creative
inspiration.
Oil lamp in Bui Xuan Phai’s painting
Small kerosene lamp were also discovered its art beauty by
painter, Bui Xuan Phai. In the time of Bui Xuan Phai, none of
artist spent their time and effort to describe things so simple
that anybody had several items. And in exhibitions at that
time, we never made space for such still-life paintings because
they did not even reflect any content, struggle, labor,
production or the party. For Bui Xuan Phai, however, it
inspired and accounted for a large segment of the massive volume
of his paintings.
Talking about the Small kerosene lamp or Miniature Oil Lamp, the
younger generation may be bewildered, or even could not imagine
what it was. The Small kerosene lamps or Miniature Oil Lamps
were almost no longer used because in this era, people have used
electric lighting.
From the early 20th century, when the Shell petroleum company
(at that time, it is called “shell” firm) from the United States
sold oil in Vietnam. Our people were familiar with peanut oil
lamps; therefore, firstly it was difficult for “Shell” company
to sell oil. But those who sold oil devised a very strange way
that we now call “marketing”: Giving the lamp away to the
people. They had lamps without oil and if people want to use
such “god sent” lamps, it was forced to buy oil. Shell Company
sold oil and our people had so handy lamps for lighting. It was
convenient for everyone. That lamp have been still called the
Small kerosene lamp or Miniature Oil Lamp (in the South) Such
lamps quickly became so familiar that almost every family had
several kerosene lamps in the house, the kitchen. Although the
gas lighter of the modern industry has filled all alleys and
streets, but today, in several night tea shops in Hanoi,
nostalgic persons still like to get fire from the Small kerosene
lamp to light cigarette. And particularly, if that pipe smoking
is not lit from such oil lamps is considered uninteresting any
more. The pleasure of smokers would decrease by over half.
Antiquarian, for many years, has launched a hunt for ancient oil
lamps called elder lamp with their age. These things seemed to
throw in the trashcan have made people suddenly startled to hear
a “terrible” price for each ancient oil lamp.
Now, there has been no longer life with oil lamps, death with
clarinet and drum, but the lamp oil would not disappear for
that. On contrast, today, collectors have eagerly hunted
aggressively oil lamps for the collections, for expensive
interior décor of the restaurants, villas in large cities.
Collectors of ancient oil lamps, said: with two hundred
thousand, it is able to begin collection of the first oil lamp
for his collection, but if you would like to have a
sophisticated lamp, it forced more expensive. Beautiful lamps
often cost from three to five million. Royal hanging oil lamps
originated from the luxurious living rooms of mandarin’s houses
often cost two to three thousand dollars.