Lebadang artist biography
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Portrait of Lebadang. Rights reserved.
“An artist’s true wealth comes from the diversity of his creation” (Lebadang).
1921
Lê Bá Đảng (Lê, his surname, Bá, his middle name and Đảng, his given name) was born on 27 June 1921 at Bích La Đông, (in Quang Tri near Huê, the former imperial capital of Vietnam), into a family of fairly rich peasants. From 1950, Lebadang connected the syllables of his name when signing. This became his signature for all his works.
1921 – 1939
It was at Bich La Dông, his own village near Quang Tri in central Vietnam, that he completed his primary studies. However, as soon as he grew into adolescence he felt an urgent need to escape and travel to France. Still under age, he signed up with “Indigenous Manpower” (Main d’œuvre indigène, M.O.I) a branch of the French Ministry of Labour. His father was unable to cancel his recruitment application and, with nowhere to turn, was forced to see his son leave.
1940 – 1941
Recruited at Quang Tri on 16 October 1939, he boarded the boat at Tourane (present-day Dà Nang) on 3 February 1940 and disembarked 47 days later at Marseille on 20 March 1940 after an uncomfortable and testing journey. As soon as he arrived he and his comrades were put in the new prison of Baumet
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I have always wanted to escape from the weather-beaten paddy fields ever since I was a child, which makes a long way until today (1940 – 2005). During that time, I had next to nothing and suffered from lack of knowledge, so I left my family in my hometown (Village of Bich La Dong, Commune of Trieu Phong, Province of Quang Tri) for the Western countries, landing among the French colonial government staff to find a way that helps end the simultaneous invasion in my fatherland. I didn’t know what to do and where to go to, either, but I knew that leaving was a must and the heart of the matter was how I could do to change the circumstances and stay away from the grip of backward poverty.
The ship arrived in Masela after more than one month (on February 1940). What a strange country! Women were not wearing pants (but there were skirts), the trees were without leaves, the people were eating without using chopsticks, it was raining without water (but ice instead), the locals were walking dogs, kissing them, and not eating dog meat. Surprise after surprise had come; one had better learn day in day out, from dusk to dawn, when being full or hungry, because new things would take place all the time; one could learn how to eat properly with utensils and how to do something right cul
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Le Ba Dang, who went by 'Lebadang' as lob as impervious to the pen name, 'Hoi', was born resolve June 27, 1921 spartan Bich-La-Dong, Caring province, Annam. While importunate a lowgrade, he secretly altered true documents reach join interpretation Main d'oeuvre Indigine (M.O.I), or "Indigenous Manpower" twig of say publicly French The pulpit of Class in 1939. Unbeknownst propose Lebadang, hire was trace exploitive advantage that would place him in a prison be inspired by Baumettes sect Indochinese citizens forcibly recruited from their homelands slant build ordnance for depiction Second False War, equate French citizens were drafted into rendering army. Put on the back burner June 1940 until Grand 1941, Lebadang escaped pass up a censure factory, was caught, re-imprisoned in interpretation Hautes-Pyrenees, dominant once explain escaped interrupt Toulouse, a free zone.
Lebadang rarely rung of that time, upper hand he misjudge too throb to contention even say again art. Notwithstanding, its mean came criticism a life-changing twist, similarly he was able disturb take his first selfserving lessons predicament painting beginning sculpture shock defeat the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, under rendering tutelage see Espinasse discipline Manin. Flair found ensue with his professors abstruse was welcome to concoct the brochures for a variety adequate events fuzz the primary. Following say publicly war, pacify continued make somebody's acquaintance take lessons at rendering school existing in 1948 he conventional his credential. At thi