German ambassador to Laos, Annette Knobloch (second from left), and Souliya Phoumivong (second from right). - VT
VIENTIANE: Almost one hundred clay images of buffaloes in various shapes, sizes and colours, all carefully crafted by Souliya Phoumivong, went on display in the gardens of the German Embassy in Vientiane recently.
The exhibition was titled “The Journey of the Buffalo Man” and was curated to convey the message that all people are created equal and have the same rights, opportunities and freedom to make progress in life without being distinguished or hindered by gender, age, personality, or appearance.
Souliya’s buffalo is a metaphor for the ordinary citizen, through which a serious narrative develops, showing that determination and tenacity, together with pride and conviction in one’s desires and ambitions, can lead to success and the fulfilment of dreams.
Souliya is an artist who can also be described as an ambassador for his country through his works and especially with the recurring motif of the buffalo as a symbol of the Lao way of life.
He is a cultural ambassador who uses art to lovingly and sensitively describe and observe the soul of Lao society. In many presentations outside the country, he has already helped to make Laos better known in the world and to convey its special traditions and cultural characteristics through his work. In this way, he has made an important contribution to the cultural development of his country.
During the event at the German Embassy, Souliya guided the audience through his exhibition starting with the history of becoming the “Buffalo Man” through a video and photography presentation.
Guests were able to follow the journey of the buffalo from the very beginning, from Souliya’s exhibition in Japan in 2010, until the present day.
He then showed guests his more recent work involving the creation of clay buffaloes, explaining that if buffaloes travel together in a herd they can be stronger, but they will only succeed if they have a strong leader who can make wise decisions.
In a persuasive message to the many students who were present, Souliya said it doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like. What’s important is to be proud of yourself and aim straight for your goals.
“Many people say that buffaloes are stupid animals and Lao people hate it if they are compared to a buffalo. But this is not how I see it, because buffaloes are hardworking and intelligent,” he said.
Exhibition curator Misouda Heuansoukkhoun said “When Souliya first introduced the buffalo concept, many people laughed at him and said he was as dumb as a buffalo. People assumed that nobody would like his work. Since then, he has proved those people wrong, because as we see today, Souliya’s artwork is bold and unique. He has created the cartoon buffalo to convey a serious message in a colourful way.”
Once again, this powerful exhibition represents the cultural commitment of Germany’s mission in Laos.
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Annette Knobloch said “While passion may be an important factor in displaying Souliya’s art in our garden, it is also about foreign policy and diplomacy.”
“For the German Foreign Ministry, the so-called ‘Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy’ is the third pillar of German foreign policy, alongside classic foreign policy and foreign economic policy. This means that culture and education play an extremely important role for us in bilateral relationships.”
She continued “I particularly appreciate the humanity, humour and the profoundness of Souliya’s work and I think I can say he has become a good friend of the German Embassy.”
“The friendship started with his painting our mural, where he immortalised his vision of German-Lao relations,” the Ambassador said.
This exhibition, “The Journey of the Buffalo Man”, which shows the journey of the “Buffalo Man” - Souliya’s journey - is also the logical continuation of the work on the outside wall of the embassy and is therefore also part of this journey.”
Souliya Phoumivong’s exhibition can be seen in the garden of the German Embassy until Friday Jan 26. To arrange a viewing between 10am and 3pm, please visit vw-tel1@vien.auswaertiges-amt.de. - Vientiane Times/ANN
