Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A special exhibition has just wrapped up at the VietnamNational Fine Arts Museum that delved into the creative process ofdesigning the National Emblem.

In1951, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam identifiedthe need to assert national sovereignty and to assist the development ofinternational relations with the National Assembly.

Soonafter, the ministry launched an emblem design contest for the then DemocraticRepublic of Vietnam. Many entries were received but no finalists were selected.Later, painter Bui Trang Chuoc was recommended and selected to be thefinal designer.

Havinggraduated from L'Ecole des Beaux Arts de L'Indochine (Indochina FineArts School), Chuoc had taught graphic design in Da Lat before the August1945 Revolution.

He was a master graphic designer, experiencedin creating important designs for bank notes, postage stamps and merit medals.Some of his sketches on tracing paper show the painstaking process it tookto achieve perfect symmetry without support of computer algorithms.

Duringhis brainstorming process, 94 drafts were narrowed down to 15 options withcareful explanatory notes. Inspired by other socialist countries’ nationalemblems, he put careful thought into what would best represent the nation. 

Tosymbolise the country’s progress and transition between agricultural andindustrial practices, symbols like the rubber plantations, factories,an anvil and a cog wheel all featured his drafts to representeconomic diversity.

Atfirst, Chuoc wanted toinclude bamboo trees and the buffalo, two agricultural icons, but after dueconsideration he realised they were shared symbols with other Asian countries,so he decided to use historic locations such as the Hung Temple, the Dong DaMound and Quan Chuong Gate in Hanoi instead.

However, hewas still not satisfied, believing they didn’t portray enough meaning.Eventually he settled on the flag as its simple designcould represent both the nation and its people.

Afterreceiving feedback from President Ho Chi Minh and the National Assembly,the final version was chosen in 1956, in which ripe rice bundles representedagricultural strength on both sides of the circle, hugging the symbol ofindustrialisation, the cog wheel in the middle. The soft red silk ribbons withthe “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” letters enclosed both symbols. Inside thecircle, the national flag filled the space with a bright yellow star highon top, which was believed to help guide the way for the nation’s futuredevelopment and progress.

Unfortunately,the final design, edited by painter Tran Van Can due to time constraints,gained him the credit instead.

AlthoughChuoc was upset, he did not make a big scene about it. Decades later, in 1973,he wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Pham Van Dong to ask forclarification but did not receive a reply. In 1985, he wrote athree page essay titled “I Draw the National Emblem” explaining hisjourney designing the emblem, and gave it to his family.

ArtistsVu Giang Huong, Tran Khanh Chuong and Trieu Duong disputed his claims,giving credit to painter Can.

However,no clarification is now available as they have all since passed away.While there was no deliberate attempt to steal thecredit from Can, the matter divided experts.

Someofficials even suggested the credit should be shared between both artists.Ultimately, a careful investigation proved painter Chuoc case andrecognised his dedication and effort to design the National Emblem.

Whilethe identity of the creator remained unknown to the public for a longtime, at last he has finally been recognised through this exhibition andwill be under consideration for Ho Chi Minh Award forLiterature and Arts in the near future.

Additionally,the State Records and Archives Management Department of Vietnam plans to make adossier to submit to the Government for consideration of the National Emblem asa national treasure./.