The Le Ba Dang Memorial Space - An Artistic Masterpiece

The Le Ba Dang Memorial Space is situated on a hill covering an area of over 16,000 square meters. It is a structure exhibiting the works of the artist Le Ba Dang as well as providing insights into his life and career.

The Le Ba Dang Memorial Space - An Artistic Masterpiece

Artist Le Ba Dang

Le Ba Dang was born on June 27 in the village of Bich La Dong, Quang Tri, and passed away on March 7, 2015, in Paris. He was a Vietnamese painter, sculptor, and engraver who became a French citizen in 1980. He spent most of his life in France, with periods in the United States and Japan.

He attended the Toulouse School of Fine Arts from 1942 to 1948. After graduating, his works, including his first drawings, lithographs, and other prints, were highly acclaimed.

In 1966, his first solo exhibition was organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum. He also designed sets and costumes for the opera production of My Chau – Trong Thuy at the Paris Opera House in 1977.

In 1964, Le Ba Dang published several lithograph portfolios, notably Huit chevaux (Eight Horses). His first lithograph portfolio was executed in relief, without ink and color.

In 2006, the city of Hue inaugurated the Le Ba Dang Art Center. This is where over 400 exemplary works from the artist's 70 years of creativity are preserved and displayed. His works are present in numerous private collections, especially in the United States, Japan, and France.

He coined the concept of the 'Le Ba Dang Space' in painting; received awards from the International Institute of Saint-Louis, USA in 1989; was listed in the global celebrities directory by the International Biography Center at Cambridge University in 1992. In 1994, he received the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres) from France.

The Artist's Grand Dream

During his lifetime, Le Ba Dang dreamed of a space where an artist could freely create and exhibit their works with true dimensions.

Many sketches, articles, and projects demonstrate his early interest in materializing spaces with true dimensions. Spaces that encompass the essence of humanity, places for leisure and meditation.

In 1985, he realized his first spatial works. These were works on paper combining collage and stacking, between sculpture and bas-relief as an outstanding synthesis.

Le Ba Dang used paper from Moulin de Larroque in Dordogne, a handmade paper, very thick for him to tear and layer by hand. He cut and assembled geometric shapes to form lakes, mountains, deserts, rivers, and wild lands.

A Dream Turns into Reality

Mrs. Le Cam Te, a colleague of Le Ba Dang for over a decade, always pondered his aspirations. With the desire to fulfill his wishes, she sought land to build a memorial house.

It was a barren hill in Huong Thuy town, a region of dry red soil and hard rocks. In 2016, a year after the painter's passing, Mrs. Cam Te invited Mrs. Myshu, Le Ba Dang's wife, to visit the small garden. Mrs. Myshu was very fond of it and agreed, supporting the idea of establishing the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space right then.

After considering numerous design options, Mrs. Myshu decided to select a paper-cut artwork by the painter Le Ba Dang as the architectural centerpiece of the main building and requested strict adherence to the prototype.

With relentless efforts, architect Ho Viet Vinh, painter To Bich Hai, communication design expert Luc Ho, interior design expert Eric Mignard, and engineer Vu Van Kien transformed this paper-cut artwork into a magnificent building with complete functions and scale surrounded by hills, forests, streams...

On April 21, 2019, the lifelong dream of the artist Le Ba Dang came true with the birth of the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space (Lebadang Memory Space) in Kim Son village, Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy district, Thua Thien Hue province.

The project consists of five zones with a dominant white color scheme and serving various functions. The main zone is designed to be open, displaying hundreds of paper-cut artworks, sculptures, oil paintings, Humanitarian Tuong, and installation art... The highlight is the skylight welcoming natural sunlight, with a three-dimensional sculpture in the center.

The life and career of Le Ba Dang are showcased in the underground space. It is a 50m long tunnel, the entrance equipped with a system of strong, reflective, light-balancing, and UV-blocking glass.

Materials about the late painter are presented in various forms such as graphic information, souvenirs, photos... Among them, the documentary film “From Bich La to Paris”, about the passion, determination, and journey to fame of Le Ba Dang stands out. The rooftop space of the building is designed as a paradise garden, featuring sculptures and installation art.

Mrs. Cam Te meticulously curated the garden section with flowers, fruit trees, and many paper flower trees that the late painter Le Ba Dang cherished during his lifetime. Particularly, various shades of purple and red dominate the garden.

Strolling through the garden, visitors encounter rust-resistant steel sculptures, surfaces reflecting nature... A direct cutting technique with hollow parts, characteristic gaps of Le Ba Dang's artistic style, can be observed throughout.

The dream of the painter Le Ba Dang, along with the mission of Mrs. Cam Te, has been fully realized with the assistance of art enthusiasts both locally and globally.

The Lê Bá Đảng Memorial Space not only showcases the works of the late painter but also serves as a meeting place, exchange hub for art lovers, as well as a venue for organizing cultural exhibitions...

As reported by Mytour

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour