Hanoi (VNA) - Folk art not onlyprovides a modest income for many Vietnamese, it has often been considered anational treasure. However, as modern art styles become popular, the oldpaintings are starting to fade into the distance.

In the so-called golden age, folk paintings werecreated to meet citizen’s spiritual demands, with acclaimed products and stylesbased in craft villages such as Dong Ho and Sinh. The variety of models,genres, themes and patterns detailed the lives of Vietnamese people.

They provided illustrations of the simple thingsthat happen in everyday life, such as farming, herding, handicraft work andfamily life.

The uniqueness of folk art is enhanced by itscombination with poetry, folk songs, proverbs written in Nom (ancientVietnamese writing system), messages on moral codes and religion, orworkers dreams for well-being, an adequate family and an equal society.

Folk paintings not only reflect people’s lives,but also record the fast changes of the nation through many periods of time,and the reaction to Western culture. Its simplicity has influenced generationsof Vietnamese art lovers and foreign visitors.

Once an invaluable resource of the Vietnamesepeople, the old art is losing ground rapidly.

“Hanging folk painting in the housefor Tet (Lunar New Year) used to be an elegant hobby, a beautifulcustom of old Hanoi. However, at present, to be able to buy an authentic DongHo folk painting on the pavements of the city’s streets is mission impossible,or, if there are available, the techniques and aesthetic features are oftenpoor," said chairman of the Vietnam Association of History Science (VAHS)Phan Huy Le.

Therefore, a group of young Vietnamese, named"SRiver", has been formed to conserve folk painting lines,especially paintings in the Hang Trong style.

The group consists of young people working indifferent jobs but sharing the same passion for fine art designs and Vietnameseculture.

The age of the group ranging from 23 to 33. Halfof them are graphic designers.

Trinh Thu Trang, architect and founder of thegroup, said it set out to save traditional values. “As the ones who arepassionate for Hang Trong paintings and folk beauty, we gathered together toform SRiver. Our first brainchild Hoa Sac Viet (Colours and Patternsof Vietnam) was made to reserve and uphold traditional values.

"We do not try to attach the paintings tomodern life or try to cling onto something that belongs to history. What we aretrying to do is select folk material that has potential to be applied to modernlife, including graphic fashion and interior design. This is how we hope torevive folk values so they do not sleep permanently in museums.”

Hang Trong is a genre of prints madefrom woodblocks that originated in Hang Trong and Hang Non streets indowntown Hanoi. In the past, the art was an essential element ofthe Tet holiday in the capital, but today this tradition has almostdisappeared.

For SRiver, this first and big venture is basedon the potential of Hang Trong art painting in particular and Vietnamesefine arts in general by collecting, analysing and copying it into asource of rich natural colours and patterns for designers and painters. Theywill be able to create designs for all purposes, from curtains and bed sheetsand even clothing.

The idea is expounded in a bookentitled Hoa Sac Viet.

“Our hindrance was the lack of sources. Folkpainting is a dying art and it is hard to find some materials on the market, sowe looked for them in places like Japan and South Korea. We also studied thelast craftsmen, such as Le Dinh Nghien and researcher Phan Ngoc Khue.

Nghien has 70 Hang Trong paintings so weborrowed his precious collection to copy digitally into our book. The processwas made entirely by computer, and we used Illustrator software to digitalisethe colour and patterns of the original paintings,” said Trinh Hong Van, amember of the team.

At present, SRiver is calling for supports onComicola website so it can complete the project on scheduled time.

“Culture is like a flow and each one of us is adrop of water. Many drops moving in the same direction create a flow. If wefeel Vietnamese culture is just a small part of this big world, let’s becreators. This is the spirit of SRiver,” Van said.

“When we started this project, we hoped we couldinspire young people from all walks of life, so they also can initiate theirown ideas to create projects relevant to the national folk culture,” she added.

The book will be published on March 31 of2018.-VNA