As part of the series of activities of the comic development project in Vietnam, the seminar will be attended by author - artist Clement Baloup - author of two comic books "Memories of overseas Vietnamese" and literary researcher Le Nguyen Long and coordinator - translator Phung Hong Minh will be held at 9:30 a.m. on May 11, in Hanoi.
In the event space, readers will enjoy impressive images from two comics and listen to speakers share about the cultural - historical significance, inspiration and appeal of the comic book genre combined with historical documents.
In particular, the two comic books "Memories of overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Workers - Workers Coming to France in the middle of World War II" and "Memories of overseas Vietnamese: The Throne - The Bridge of the Vietnamese in the New World" by author Clement Baloup were introduced on this occasion, recreating the past pieces of a Vietnamese community that seems to be forgotten in history.
Memories of overseas Vietnamese: Vietnamese Sphinx - Workers Coming to France in the middle of World War II brings readers a vivid story about the ancient workers, with significant contributions to the production in France and enthusiastic support for Uncle Ho and the Vietnamese Revolution during a turbulent period of world history.
Memories of overseas Vietnamese: The footprints of the Vietnamese people in the New World takes readers back to nearly 100 years ago, when cruise ships from Hai Phong crossed the sea carrying thousands of Vietnamese farmers to remote islands in the ocean. They went as voluntary labor export, working under a 5-year contract through recruitment companies of French colonialists. These people are called loops (registering one leg of labor).
The two comics bring vivid stories about the lives of Vietnamese people living away from home in a turbulent historical period. But no matter the circumstances, they still show many typical qualities of Vietnamese people, which are diligence, courage, optimism, not giving up in the face of adversity and always looking forward to their homeland.
With two French -Vietnamese bloodlines and special concerns for Vietnamese history and culture, painter Clement Baloup has exploited stories from many different perspectives: Comparing the difference between the view from witnesses from the viewpoint from the outside world; The concerns about the turn of human fate when exile; About the relationship between generations (parents - children).
Based on historical research, archival documents, interviews and personal notes, artist Clement Baloup recreated a reality interwoven between the past and the present, in a vast space, from Vietnam to France and New Caledonia. According to him, comic books provide an opportunity for him to share his feelings, because painting is a desire to express personal thoughts, a dialogue with the views of others, and an expression to the world of his own perspective.
Author Clement Baloup shared that, Memories will gradually fade in everyones mind, so I want to use comics to link those fragile memories with valuable timelines, to reveal the inevitable truths of human fate.
Painter Clement Baloup was born in 1978, with a French mother and a overseas Vietnamese father. He was born in France and raised in Europe, Polynesia and South America. After studying design in Marseille, he studied fine arts at the Angouleme School of Fine Arts (France) and Hanoi University of Fine Arts (Vietnam).
Clement is a talented artist with comics on adventure and historical topics. His works have been translated into many languages. In addition to comics, Clement is also a press illustrator.
Clement Baloup's works have won many prestigious awards such as: The Jury Award at the 2011 Angouleme International Comics Festival and the Border Doctor Award at Clermont-Ferrand.
