Sketches collection: Handmade battering tile in Cam Chuong, Portrait of soldier, Portrait of colleague, Portrait of old man, Carrying goods to the front, Ladies in Dinh Cong, Thanh Hoa province, Army and people relationship

Giang Khich is an army artist who spent 39 years in the army. He was born in 1945 in Hanoi, and graduated from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1977. In his long career he has received numerous prices such as Silver price of Hanoi Fine Arts Exhibition 1976, Special price of Army Exhibition 1987, Silver price of the Propaganda Art Exhibition 1995.

“ I am an artist-soldier. I grew up during the American war. I spent 39 years in the army. Life of an artist-soldier is glorious but is also full of struggle. Struggle not only in everyday life, but also in creative work. Beginning 1967, I was sent by my troop to the Fine Arts College. At that time the school was evacuated to the countryside, the daily meals were a little bit of cooked flour and black soup. We were bombed everyday. During every class all of us, students and models, had to jump to the air-raid shelter, holding guns, ready to fight. But during these years of hardship, everybody was very motivated and energetic. All of us wanted to work and make a contribution. The program of the University was very professional, with serious studies in drawing and composition, linked with field trips. Until now, many artist-soldiers still keep their exercises from that time, which remain valuable.

In the creative work, most of the veteran artist-soldiers are tormented by doubt and struggle to choose between the realistic and the beautiful. Nowadays, as the whole society is changing its thinking, the artist-soldiers are caught in confusion. We spent our whole life painting the true, realistic way. It has become a habit we can’t easily overcome. Changing thinking, style and visual language is not easy, although we have so much material from our life experiences. Artist-soldiers need a period to change their thinking, their view, their creative approach.”
(Giang Khich, 2006)