A national artist who is more than a painter

Years of hard work paid off for Mr Bounleung Veunvilavong when he was awarded a medal and certificate as a national artist in the field of fine arts by the Prime Minister last month.

A Cultural Production Company worker shapes a Buddha statue.

Mr Bounleung, who is General Director of the Cultural Production Company under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, is an artist who has joined hands with the government and led his staff to construct many important statues in Laos, including those of kings, heroes and the Buddha.

The success of his work can be put down to his dedication and special attention to detail in creating cultural artefacts assigned by his clientele.

Mr Bounleung is one of Laos's eminent painters, whose images have captured the attention of many people locally and internationally.

Through his paintings, he captures the lifestyle and traditions of various Lao communities for the entire world to see.

Born in Tanpiew village of Thoulakhom district, Vientiane province, Mr Bounlueng left his hometown to study in Vientiane before continuing on to take a higher diploma at a fine arts school in Vietnam.

His record of study was so impressive that he was the only Lao student to win a scholarship to study at a fine arts school in Toulouse, France, where he learnt about painting, sculpture and ornamentation.

Upon his return to Laos, Mr Bounleung began teaching at the Fine Arts Institute, using his knowledge and experiences to prepare lesson plans for aspiring Lao students.

Throughout his artistic career he has received over 20 medals, as well as more than 20 certificates from the Lao and Vietnamese governments.

He has led his staff in making Lao-style furniture and statues assigned by the government, notably effigies of the former kings Chao Fangum and Chao Anouvong.

In order to create the Chao Anouvong statue in the likeness of the national hero, the team went to Savannakhet province and neighbouring countries to gather information. It took them four and a half months to create the statue.

A lthough his life is now more likely to centre on monitoring the work of his staff, Mr Bounleung still loves painting.

Among the collection of paintings at his office is an image displaying three old men drinking laohai alcohol, a woman weaving and others working, surrounded by mountains, a hut and trees, representing the typical lifestyle of his countrymen and their reliance on the natural environment.

His work is simple but brought to life by subtle brushstrokes and luscious oil colours.

“My style of painting is mostly based on what I have seen and lived through in the past so that I may tell of people's lifestyle to the outside world,” he said.

Mr Bounleung's paintings have won prizes whenever he has been called upon to exhibit his works. However, things haven't always gone smoothly.

His painting ‘Lao House in Remote Area' won first place in a competition held by Ongkan Pappoung Mekong in 1963 at Vientiane's Lane Xang Hotel.

Three days after the announcement, his winning painting was stolen while on display.

“At that time I was in Vietnam and the organiser wrote a letter asking me to paint another one but I told him that was impossible.”

As winner of the contest, he received a small sum of money, as well as painting supplies and educational materials.

As time has passed, Mr Bounleung admits he has become too busy to paint as much as he once did.

Now he spends much of his time overseeing his company's assignments, which involve dozens of workers producing cultural artefacts for the government, temples and the private sector.

However, the artist in him has never gone away; hanging on his wall is a painting he made a few years ago which depicts people in a remote area going about their daily lives.

As a young boy from the country, the pictures in his village temple inspired Mr Bounleung to pick up a paintbrush. Now he hopes his work can have a similar influence on aspiring Lao youngsters.

By Viengsavanh Phengphachan
(Latest Update July 2, 2011)