Vietnamese painter brings humanity to canvas post-Yagi
Monday, September 16, 2024, 17:00 GMT+7
Choked with pain and empathy toward the loss caused by typhoone Yagi in northern Vietnam, painter Le Sa Long has revealed a series of 13 paintings completed between September 10 and 14, depicting Vietnamese compassion and humanity during hardships.
Long told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he began to sketch the paintings after watching the news about a flash flood that tore through Nu Village in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam.
The deadly disaster ravaged the village on September 10. Rescuers had found the bodies of 52 people, while 14 others were still missing as of Sunday afternoon.
Fifteen Nu Village residents are currently receiving medical treatment.
The series also includes scenes of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arriving at the flash flood site to oversee the implementation of recovery measures as well as Party General Secretary and State President To Lam visiting northern Tuyen Quang Province to offer support and encouragement to those affected by the floods.
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts Party General Secretary and State President To Lam visiting and encouraging typhoon-hit people in Tuyen Quang Province, northern Vietnam. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaching the scene of a flash flood in Nu Village, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam. |
Another striking painting describes a little girl carrying her younger sibling on her back as she returns to her devastated village.
The painting captures the moment she gazes up at the sky, asking, "Where is my home? Where are my parents? Where are my neighbors?"
Long said that he completed the painting in 10 hours, working nonstop until midnight, nearly exhausting himself in the process.
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| The painting ‘Where is my home? Where are my parents?’ by artist Le Sa Long |
Long also painted Professor Dr. Le Ngoc Thach, a visiting lecturer at the University of Science under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, who donated a savings book worth VND1 billion (US$40,716) through Tuoi Tre to support people affected by typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam.
The painter wanted the newspaper to help him present the painting to Thach as a way to show his admiration for his act.
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts Prof. Dr. Le Ngoc Thach, who donated a savings book worth VND1 billion ($40,716) through Tuoi Tre support people impacted by typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam. |
Long also revealed a plan to hold an exhibition of the paintings in the near future.
Proceeds from the paintings will be allocated to typhoon Yagi relief funds.
Painter Le Sa Long is known for impressive and emotional paintings, including a series on Ho Chi Minh City during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period and seven paintings to commemorate 56 victims of a fatal tenement fire in Hanoi in September last year.
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts a child saved from a landslide in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam. |
Super typhoon Yagi and the subsequent floods and landslides have wreaked havoc on many localities, causing over 350 to die and go missing while injuring thousands of others, since the storm made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Yagi has also blown off the roofs of over 230,000 houses, schools, and medical centers, while flooding 70,000 houses and 190,000 hectares of rice.
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts a helicopter carrying relief to Cao Bang Province, northern Vietnam. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts Nathan Keers, of British nationality, giving food to people in a flooded area in Thai Nguyen Province, northern Vietnam. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts military officers helping residents restore their lives after the typhoon. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts military officers evacuating residents to safety. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts residents struggling with a flood. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts the high water level in the Red River in northern Vietnam. |
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| A painting by artist Le Sa Long depicts Nguyen Huynh Bao Nhi, a student of Kien Thiet Middle School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, donating all of her savings to people hurt by typhoon Yagi in the north. |
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