Original comics works of Nguyen Vinh Khoa, or Vink used to illustrate on the comic book: Le Moine Fou (The Mad Monk) published in Europe. —Photo courtesy of Da Nang Fine Arts Museum

The collection, which includes 61 original comics paintings, 21 documents and 14 comic books that were originally published in Thailand and Belgium, will be displayed at the Da Nang-based Museum today.

They are artworks created by Vink in his art course in Liège, and he personally reserved pieces of his collection to donate to Da Nang and Liège.

Artist Nguyen Vinh Khoa, or Vink, in his workshop in Liège, Belgium. His collection of original comics paintings and books will be on display in Da Nang from November 19 to December 3rd. — Photo courtesy of Da Nang Fine Arts Museum

Khoa, 71, who was born and grew up in Da Nang, began his education at the city’s Blaise Pascal high school and journalism in HCM City.

A copy of the comics book: 'Derrière la haie de bambous' (The Green Bamboo Shelter). Khoa donated the original copy to Da Nang Fine Arts Museum. — Photo courtesy of Da Nang Fine Arts Museum

He went to study in Belgium in 1969 and settled there afterwards. Khoa continued education in medicine course and science of education at the University of Liège, but he kept his arts desire going by joining an art study at Académie royale des beaux-arts de Liège (the Academy of Fine Arts of the Belgian city of Liège).

Sunset view in the Huong (Perfume) River in Hue City. The watercolour painting was created by Nguyen Vinh Khoa, a Belgian-Vietnamese artist. — Photo courtesy Da Nang Fine Arts Museum

His comic paintings contributed to Le Journal de Tintin and Le Journal de Spirou, weekly French-Belgian comics magazines.

The first comic works were a collection used for the Fairy Tales of Vietnam, Derriere la Haie de Bambous (The Green Bamboo Shelter) published by Le Journal de Tintin.

The Vietnamese-Belgian won his first award in arts with the Grand Prix Saint-Michael in 1985 for the comic paintings in the Le Moine Fou (The Mad Monk).

He also co-operated with Dargaude, a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, and Walt Disney for comic works.

He created 600 to 700 artworks, mostly using watercolour and pen paintings on paper, and a collection of 173 paintings was donated to Liège.

On the occasion of the Vietnam’s Heritage Day, the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum will display 51 original paintings in pen, watercolour and pencil, as well as 12 of his family’s owned paintings at 78 Le Duan street from November 19 to December 3.

'On the Hàn River bank', a painting of Nguyen Vinh Khoa. Khoa, who was born in Da Nang before moving to Liège, Belgium, donated the painting to the Fine Arts Museum of Da Nang. — Photo courtesy of Da Nang Fine Arts Museum

At the same time, local artist Le Huy Hanh also reserves his own 19 original paintings to the museum, and these paintings will go on display with the Vietnamese-Belgian artist.

In March, Japanese art collector, Toyokichi Itoh, a representative of Sun Lease company from Japan, also donated a collection of 238 paintings to Da Nang City and agreed to lease his own 49-painting collection for a free exhibition at the museum.

Source: Vietnam News

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