Painter Trieu Khac Le is a former student of the painting department, full-time program, class 12, Vietnam College of Fine Arts (now Vietnam University of Fine Arts). During the French colonial period, the school's name was Indochina College of Fine Arts. This place has trained many generations of talented painters of Vietnamese painting art.

In April 1972, he and 8 other students including Doan Van Nguyen, Le Khac Cuong, Tran Trung Chinh, Le Van Thin, Pham Van Vet, Tran Tuan, Nguyen Viet Ngoc, Tran Huu Tri were granted special graduation and volunteered to go to the battlefield. After a short training period, they were sent to support the arts of Zone 5. The area of ​​operation included the provinces of Quang Nam, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak.

Painter Trieu Khac Le recounted that we were welcomed at K15 (the place to welcome cadres going to B of the Central Unification Committee). After a month of training in a forest codenamed A105, in Luong Son district, Hoa Binh province, we set off for Zone 5. After three months of climbing passes, wading streams, and crossing the Truong Son mountain range, we finally reached the Literature and Arts Association of the Propaganda Department of Zone 5. The agency was located in a forest in Doc Voi, Tien Phuoc district, Quang Nam province (later Hiep Duc district, Quang Nam province).

During this time, the agencies of Zone 5 were all located in Quang Nam province, mainly in deep forests and high mountains. We were given military uniforms like soldiers and were sent to civilian and military bases in Zone 5 to compose. I went on 4 trips to the battlefield. When we went, in addition to our uniforms and drawing materials, we were also equipped with weapons... Sometimes when we came face to face with the enemy on patrol or encountered commando nests, some of our comrades were sacrificed...

Painter Trieu Khac Le. Photo: NVCC

The battlefield in Zone 5 was extremely difficult at that time. In addition to the time spent on field trips to create works, we also took advantage of the time to grow cassava, corn... Our daily meals consisted of only corn, cassava and wild vegetables. Because of the war, the units often had to move locations. We built temporary houses to live in... We took turns carrying supplies, each trip took a whole week, and when we caught malaria, we had to stay in the middle of the forest. Every time we went on a mission, we had to carry our belongings in our backpacks, in case when we returned, the unit had moved to another location. Life during wartime forced us to have survival skills...", artist Trieu Khac Le shared.

In December 1972, he was sent to the Phu Yen front to coordinate the mass mobilization work in preparation for the signing of the Paris Agreement. Once, while sketching the war situation, he crawled close to the barbed wire fence, forgetting that it was a minefield for both our side and the enemy. Luckily, he was not tripped by a mine. That same time, he witnessed with his own eyes the scene of women and mothers in An Ninh commune flocking to the Hon Bu post of South Korean mercenaries to fight against artillery fire and sweeps. However, just a few days later, they continuously fired cluster artillery into the village.

In March 1973, the entire art troupe of Zone 5 was sent to the front lines. He was assigned to join the Phu Yen Propaganda Department's Working Group to the Provincial Anti-Encroachment Command in Hoa Hiep Commune, Tuy Hoa District to compose. Here, he painted many vivid works such as: Scene of C22 of Phu Yen Provincial Air Defense Force shooting down enemy aircraft; scene of our infantry fighting to defend Hon Mot Mountain; scene of bridge and field in Hoa Thinh Heroic Commune - where people protested fiercely to stop the convoy of South Korean mercenaries...

After returning to the Zone 5 Party Committee office in Quang Nam, he and other artists Giang Nguyen Thai, Le Khac Cuong, Doan Van Nguyen, Ta Quang Bao, and Pham Van Vet were assigned to decorate the 3rd Zone 5 Party Congress. He always remembers the memory of being assigned to draw a portrait of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, based only on a black and white photo printed in Nhan Dan newspaper. He had to make many edits, and it was not until he received the opinion of comrade Vo Chi Cong (at that time, Secretary of Zone 5 Party Committee) that the painting was completed...

12.7mm Tuy Hoa 1 Battery, of C 22 Air Defense of Phu Yen Province, fighting against encroachment after the Paris Agreement at Hon Mot Mountain, Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen. Painting by Trieu Khac Le (goat color, March 1973)

On his second assignment, in May and June 1974, he was sent to K4 (code name of the Reception Committee for Political Prisoners of Zone 5 from Con Dao and Phu Quoc prisons who were returned). He drew portraits and scenes of the daily life of the people, cadres and soldiers there. On his third assignment, he was sent to Gia Lai, a provincial base area, in districts 7, 6 and Dak Krong Ba. He stayed there for three months, eating and living with the soldiers and civilians protecting the route of vehicles transporting goods and weapons to the southern battlefield.

The last time, in February 1975, he participated in the Central Highlands campaign with cadres from the cultural agencies of Zone 5, the Liberation Flag newspaper, the Liberation News Agency, Zone 5 Radio Station, propaganda, cinema, and cultural units...

In November 1975, he completed his mission and was transferred to the North. He was accepted to work at the editorial office of the Young Pioneer Newspaper. During this time, he wrote and illustrated many vivid works. In 1980, he transferred to work as a lecturer at the Central College of Music and Art Education (now the Central University of Art Education). He held the position of Head of the Department, then Vice Principal, and later Secretary of the Party Committee and Principal of the school until his retirement.

Nearly 40 years ago, I was fortunate to be a student of artist Trieu Khac Le. At that time, he was a lecturer in the field of drawing and sketching. The image of a teacher passionately teaching, commenting, and giving detailed feedback to each student's work is still imprinted in my mind. He is an artist with a creative artistic style. His works with solid drawings, sharp lines, blocks, and clear colors on familiar life themes.

The family of painter Trieu Khac Le lives in the ancient village of Trieu Khuc, Tan Trieu commune, Thanh Tri district (Hanoi). Trieu Khuc is famous in Hanoi for its typical features of an ancient Northern village. Students of fine arts schools in Hanoi often come here to practice their art creations. That is why many generations of art students remember him - a teacher and painter in the ancient village...

Painter Trieu Khac Le had 3 solo exhibitions in 1986, 1997, 2014. Besides, he often sent his paintings to participate in national art exhibitions or those of the army and Hanoi. His paintings were selected and printed in the anthology "A century of Vietnamese fine arts" (2000). He has written and published together and separately over 50 books and art teaching materials.

Although he has entered his 80s, on his personal Facebook page, every day we see artist Trieu Khac Le posting new statuses, introducing his works of art with the same creativity as when he and his enthusiastic friends "held brushes" to the battlefield of Zone 5...

HA HUY PHUONG

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/van-hoa/202505/nguoi-ke-chuyen-bang-tranhve-chien-truong-khu-5-42406e7/