David Thomas and Friends
Through art, David Thomas and his Vietnamese-American artistic friends are making efforts to "heal" the scars of a prolonged 7,000-day (approximately 20 years) battle between the two nations of America and Vietnam.
In June 1969, David left the city of Portland to join the American military and fight in Vietnam. Although, he was stationed in Pleiku, Gia Lai province for over a year, David cherished his memories of the smiles of children during the war, the Vietnamese people's desire for peace, and their resilience in overcoming the hardships of war.
David returned to Vietnam in 1987 with a desire to revisit the country where he had fought as a young man, seeking to connect and heal the wounds of war. It was the beginning of his journey, and he subsequently made many more trips to Vietnam over the next 30 years.
During the summer of 1988, he established the Indochina Arts Partnership (IAP). The organization became a cultural and artistic bridge and promoted public diplomacy between Vietnam and the United States. Over the past 30 years, IAP has organized and managed numerous art exchange programs, bringing hundreds of Vietnamese artists and intellectuals to work in the US and hosting many American artists and intellectuals in Vietnam. IAP was also the first to organize two major art exhibitions showcasing Vietnamese- American friendship. These exhibitions, titled "A Thousand Miles Apart, 1990-1994" and "Seeing from Both Sides, 1995- 2000," featured works from contemporary artists of both nations and were displayed in major museums in the US and Vietnam, becoming significant cultural and diplomatic events between Vietnam and the US.
Through IAP, David made significant contributions to initiate and maintain activities that fostered mutual understanding between the two countries in various aspects.
In the following years, IAP regularly organized artist residency programs, inviting and supporting numerous Vietnamese artists and intellectuals to live and work in Boston. Returning for the exhibition "David Thomas and Friends" at the Hanoi Museum of Fine Arts, David was deeply moved by the exchange and interaction with young Vietnamese artists. He said that he felt rejuvenated, especially working alongside his beloved and respected Vietnamese friends.
Artworks by artist David Thomas on display at the exhibition:
Artist Nguyen The Son, who had works exhibited said, "When viewing David’s graphic works, I can feel the limitless creativity of the artist. The paintings reproduced from film negatives about his Parkinson's disease convey a very human message about life". Many of David’s artworks displayed in Vietnam during this exhibition were part of his graphic work during the period when he fought against Parkinson's disease, a condition determined to be one of the consequences of his exposure to Agent Orange during the war in Vietnam.
His art exhibition not only expresses his love for Vietnam, but also serves as a protest against war and denounces the consequences of Agent Orange on the Vietnamese people. When combined with the artworks of Vietnamese artists, the exhibition demonstrated the powerful healing and reconciliation nature of art.
Story: Bich Van Photos: Thanh Giang/VNP Translated by Hong Hanh