A treasure trove of Vietnamese culture

Young Chang

In the early ‘90s, archaeologists discovered Vietnamese artifacts

dating back to the 15th century in a shipwreck near a Philippine island.

Two years ago, they found another sunken ship laden with art from the

same land, this time in waters close to Vietnam.

On Thursday, Orange Coast College unveiled their newest (and

ironically, oldest) exhibit, titled “Spirit of Vietnam: Ancient Bronzes

and Ceramics.” The show features bronzes from the 5th century B.C. as

well as weapons, bowls, jewelry and other ceramics from the 11th to 15th

centuries A.D. from private collections.

“Most people, they do not know anything about Vietnam except the

Vietnam War,” said Irini Rickerson, an OCC professor and art gallery

director. “I think it’s pretty recent that there’s an interest in Vietnam

art.”

DeAnna Reposa, who owns djr International Art in Newport Beach and

exhibited contemporary Vietnamese work earlier this year, agrees.

Vietnam “is on a lot of people’s list of places to see and go to, and

before, it was not,” she said.

In previous years, the chances of OCC hosting a Vietnamese show full

of relics was also slim. Dr. Pham Hue, dean of counseling at the college

and a native of Bien Hoa, says it’s like finding buried “treasure.”

Treasure in a construction-riddled part of campus.

“Spirit of Vietnam” is housed in a plain brown trailer used by OCC’s

art department as a temporary gallery. Rickerson and her staff redid the

interior, transforming the space with bamboo walls, a gray-green paint

and terra cotta ledges to create a sterile museum face.

“I think this is going to be a great educational opportunity for

American students to learn about Vietnam,” Hue said. “To me, it’s so

emotional to go to it and see [the collection.] It came from the country

that I come from.”

A large drum in the center still retains its decorative incisions and

embossings of warrior figures from the Dong Son Dynasty, which ruled

during the 5th century B.C.

Weapons and knives from a river floor hang ominously yet beautifully

against the newly painted walls. One shield chest -- a small square metal

block -- shows intricate etches that are difficult to clearly discern. An

incense burner is shaped like a stretched-out dragon. Polychrome bowls

are decorated with birds, trees, fish and other dwellers of nature.

“I strongly believe art is one of the best tools to get to know about

a culture,” Rickerson said. “And the more we learn about culture, we have

a better appreciation of each other, which would result in a better

world.”

The lessons learned?

Early Vietnamese artists were a highly-skilled group who worked with

kilns and other artistic tools, as excavations prove.

They used free and loose brush strokes on their ceramics.

They loved nature.

Some of their culture could be described as centering on the warrior.

They used the bird and elephant as national symbols after the

expulsion of the Chinese in the 11th century, to promote a Vietnamese

cultural identity, Rickerson said.

“Our information on Vietnam was so limited,” she added. “It’s exciting

to see that centuries and centuries ago, people were producing these

beautiful pieces.”

Hue attributes the recent interest and resurgence in Vietnamese art to

a calm climate.

“We’ve been under the influence of China for a thousand years, and

then the French came over and dominated the country for almost 100 years,

then we had the Vietnamese War continuation of that,” she said. “The

priority was fighting the war. We [didn’t] have time to pay attention to

the beauty of art.”

Reposa, whose exhibit last February featured the work of contemporary

artists including Phan Lam Thuong and Do Quang Em, said paying attention

to Vietnamese art has drawn a focus on the family.

“I’m learning a lot about their traditions,” Reposa said of the

Vietnamese. “And just how important their families are to them.”

The exhibit at OCC includes landscape photographs by Ken Slosberg.

FYI

WHAT: “Spirit of Vietnam: Ancient Bronzes and Ceramics”

WHEN: Through Dec. 6. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mondays through Thursdays, and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Orange Coast College’s Art Gallery, located in building 5 of

the Art Village. 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

COST: Free

CALL: (714) 432-5039