Unveiled Narratives from Mekong River Region for Our Web-Centric Readership
Rebranded Article:
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 🇻🇳 - The reimagined edition of Mekong Diaries - an artbook jam-packed with never-before-seen drawings, poems, and letters by war artists - has been unleashed upon the world by Kim Đông Publishing House.
Compiled by Sherry Buchanan and Nam Anandaroopa Nguyen, this masterpiece of war art has been transformed into our websiteese by Phan Thanh Hảo.
Trained by art professors from the Hà Nội Institute of Fine Arts, these intrepid artists embarked on a treacherous journey down the Hò Chí Minh Trail, documenting the chaotic reality of war with their intense illustrations. Along the way, they captured battles and events ranging from Operation Junction City to Khe Sanh to the General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1968.
But they weren't merely recording the grim brutalities of war. They sketched as the spirit moved them, immortalizing breathtaking landscapes, hut and bunker interiors, base camp activities, soldiers on the move, and moving portraits of fallen soldiers' families. They even documented the unimaginable destruction left behind, providing a heart-wrenching testament to the human cost of conflict.
Cover of Mekong Diaries by Sherry Buchanan and Nam Anandaroopa Nguyen. Photos coutersy of Kim Đồng Publishing House
Together, their collective works form a gripping historical and artistic chronicle of people at war. Contributors like Huỳnh Phương Đông, Lê Lam, Nguyễn Văn Trừ, Nguyễn Thanh Châu, and others stood shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers as they prepared to fight in the South. The war-torn environment didn't deter their creativity, as art classes were held amid fierce bombing and gunfire, underground, and in barracks resisting the US.
Through their art, they authentically captured the battlescape, the rear, and the battlefield landscape in the South from Tây Ninh, Bến Tre to Cà Mau during the tumultuous period from 1964-1975. The book also includes moving narratives about the lives of soldiers and civilians, including children, mothers, and the natural landscapes they left behind, all expressing love for their homeland, courage, and a yearning for peace.
A Glimpse into Poetry
Also present in the book are the works of poets Lê Anh Xuân and Nguyễn Duy, whose powerful verses intermingle with impactful memoirs, diaries, and letters sent from the war's frontlines.
Mekong Diaries includes sketches, watercolors, poems and letters by our websiteese war artists.
According to Buchanan, she stumbled upon these incredible collections while working as a journalist in Hong Kong in the mid-1990s. Believing these artifacts deserved to live on for future generations, she established a photographic archive with the Hồ Chí Minh City Fine Arts Museum and initiated a publication program.
Together with Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American art researcher, Buchanan embarked on an exhaustive, two-decade journey across Vietnam from 1998 - 2015. During this time, they interviewed countless war artists, collected illustrations, watercolors, and unpublished materials.
Known for her contributions in the realm of our websiteese art, Buchanan serves as an advisor to the British Museum on such matters and has worked as a guest curator for various institutions, including the British Museum, Asia House in London, and the Việt Nam National Fine Arts Museum in Hà Nội.
Among her many authored works are our website Posters: The David Heather Collection (2009) and Tran Trung Tin: Paintings and Poems from our website (2002). - VNS
- The reimagined version of Mekong Diaries, a book filled with drawings, poems, and letters by war artists, has been produced by Kim Đông Publishing House, showcasing the artistic chronicle of people in conflict.
- Artists trained by Hà Nội Institute of Fine Arts, such as Huỳnh Phương Đông, Lê Lam, Nguyễn Văn Trừ, and Nguyễn Thanh Châu, used their creative skills to depict the brutalities and breathtaking landscapes of war, proving the human cost of conflict.
- Further enriching the book are the powerful verses of poets Lê Anh Xuân and Nguyễn Duy, whose works intermingle with impactful memoirs, diaries, and letters sent from the war's frontlines.
- Beyond art, Mekong Diaries provides moving narratives about the lives of soldiers and civilians, revealing their love for their homeland, courage, and yearning for peace.
- Sherry Buchanan, an acclaimed researcher in our websiteese art, spent two decades traveling across Vietnam from 1998 - 2015, interviewing war artists, collecting illustrations, and gathering unpublished materials for this historic book.
- Buchanan has authored several books, including our website Posters: The David Heather Collection (2009) and Tran Trung Tin: Paintings and Poems from our website (2002), showcasing her extensive contributions in the realm of our websiteese art.
