HÀ NỘI — This year’s Việt Nam Fine Arts Association prize has been won by Kù Kao Khải for his sculpture-installation work entitled Chuông (Bell). 

Bell was made from timber and paint about 200cm by 180cm. The work features a traditional fish-shaped bell. Khải sculptured images of  factories, dead fish and people wearing face masks in the two boards on the sides of the bell. 

"I want to raise a voice about environment pollution," said Khải. "I nurtured the idea for a long time because I was inspired by a bell from Phát Diệm Cathedral. However there are more factories to be built in my homeland and they are threatening the environment of local residents".

Khải also sculptured many fish, conveying his messeage that people should protect the environment and natural resource for young generations facing food shortages in future.

Khải took about five months to complete the work. It is the third time Khải has won the national fine arts award following the first and the second in 2013 and 2014.

Khải was born in northern Ninh Bình. After graduating from the National Fine Arts Teachers Training College, he returned home and is working as a high school fine arts teacher in the province. 

He has joined many group exhibitions and has won many prizes, including second place at the prestigious award by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 2013. No first prize was awarded.

The annual awards also gave Nguyễn Công Văn from southern province of Ninh Thuận second place for his oil-painting Lễ Cầu Mưa (Praying for Rain). Trần Giang Nam from the northern province of Bắc Kạn and Hà Nội-based Đặng Xuân Hiệp shared third place. 

The four winners competed against nearly 30 other regional award winners.

The awards are worth a total of VNĐ25 million (US$1,100). — VNS