For many years, Nhan Dan Newspaper has remained one of the very few media organisations in Viet Nam to maintain a close collaboration with painters in its publications. From short stories, poems, and essays to special editions and major national events, generations of artists have worked alongside the editorial team in the creative process.
This enduring professional relationship has been nurtured through mutual respect between journalists and artists. A newspaper not only delivers information but also contributes to enriching the cultural life and aesthetic sensibilities of the public.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee (PCC), Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communication, Education and Mass Mobilisation, and Chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists Association, said that the exhibition had been a meaningful cultural activity to honour painters’ contributions to the press while reaffirming the cultural values that have accompanied Vietnamese revolutionary journalism for more than a century.
Minh noted that, for Nhan Dan Newspaper, the connection between journalism and the fine arts has been cultivated over many years. From literary pages and arts-and-culture sections to special editions and commemorative activities marking major national events, generations of artists have collaborated with the editorial team, helping to enhance both the content quality and aesthetic value of the newspaper’s publications and products.
In the context of the media landscape undergoing profound changes, maintaining space for artistic creativity in newspapers is a commendable endeavour. It demonstrates respect for the creative labour of artists, appreciation for readers, and the responsibility of media organisations to preserve and promote cultural values.
According to Editor-in-chief Le Quoc Minh, Nhan Dan Newspaper has introduced a range of innovative initiatives in recent years with the aim to broaden public engagement. The “Illustrations in Newspapers” exhibition is another effort in that direction, bringing newspapers closer to audiences through vivid forms of expression rich in cultural value.
“The participation of 23 painters with nearly 90 works in this exhibition demonstrates the vitality of press illustration and the close relationship among journalism, literature, and the fine arts in contemporary life. These are not merely illustrations accompanying journalistic and literary works; they are also artistic creations bearing the distinctive personal imprint of each artist,” Le Quoc Minh affirmed.
The exhibition features around 90 “two-in-one” works by 23 artists from across the country, all of whom have made significant artistic contributions to Nhan Dan Newspaper as collaborators. Although created as illustrations for short stories, poems, and essays published in Nhan Dan Newspaper and several other newspapers and magazines, the works still retain their status as independent pieces of visual art.
The exhibition brings together prominent figures from Vietnamese arts, ranging from artists who established their reputations before the Doi Moi (Renewal) period, such as Associate Professor, People’s Teacher, and artist Le Anh Van, to those who have contributed to the development of Vietnamese arts from the post-Doi Moi era to the present, including Dao Hai Phong, Pham An Hai, and Dang Tien.
Contemporary artistic voices such as Bui Tien Tuan, Nguyen Duong Dinh (Inh Nguyen), Vu Dinh Tuan, Nguyen Nghia Cuong, and Vo Luong Nhi, as well as younger-generation artists including Tran Xuan Binh, Nguyen Van Duc, Nguyen Van Chung, Tung Nguyen, and Thu Trang, are also represented.
Several participating artists have worked or are currently working in newsrooms in various capacities. Some have been responsible for newspaper design, while others have worked primarily in editorial roles, yet all share a deep passion for the visual arts. They include Dang Tien (former Editorial Secretary of Hai Phong Newspaper), Do Huu Khoi (Vietnamnet), Le Tam (People’s Public Security Newspaper), and Nguyen Minh and Kim Duan of Nhan Dan Newspaper.
