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

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Fine Arts Museum of Đà Nẵng has received a collection of original comics paintings donated by Vietnamese-Belgian Nguyễn Vinh Khoa, or Vink, who has been living in Liège, Belgium since 1969. 

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 Đà Nẵng-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 Đà Nẵng and Liège.

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

Khoa, 71, who was born and grew up in Đà Nẵng, 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 Đà Nẵng Fine Arts Museum. — Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng 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 Hương (Perfume) River in Huế City. The watercolour painting was created by Nguyễn Vinh Khoa, a Belgian-Vietnamese artist. — Photo courtesy Đà Nẵng 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 Việt Nam, 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 Việt Nam’s Heritage Day, the Đà Nẵng 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 Lê Duẩn street from November 19 to December 3.

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

At the same time, local artist Lê Huy Hạnh 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 Đà Nẵng City and agreed to lease his own 49-painting collection for a free exhibition at the museum. — VNS