An inside look at cartoons from the last90 years is given in the newly published Biem Hoa Vietnam(Vietnamese cartoon).

Formerly an architect, artist LyTruc Dung spent much time researching artists who made greatcontributions to the formation of Vietnamese cartoons.

"The book is published to honour Vietnamese cartoons. I have beencollecting the materials for years. In the process of writing this book,I had lots of difficulties because of poor documents," said Dung.

The book begins by telling the history of the first person to drawcartoons and then goes on to discuss other famous artists in Vietnamthat have brought publicity to the country. Each page tells the historyof caricature through various individuals.

Painter andresearcher Nguyen Quan said, "Vietnamese cartoons came from thecountry's love of laughter and comedy, to become a unique art that hasdeveloped with the nation."

To celebrate, a variety ofcartoons are displayed at the French Cultural Centre at 24 Trang TienStreet,  Hanoi. The works on show are from talented artists of pastgenerations, such as Nguyen Gia Tri, To Ngoc Van, Phan Kich, Mai VanHien, and more recent well-known pen names, including Choe, Com, LAP,LEO. They portray the realities of life with a critical eye.

𒁏Artist Nguyen Van Nhan criticises collecting money duringparent-teacher meetings. Dung's cartoons published in Van Nghe Newspaperchide uncontrolled deforestation. Artist V. Thanh depicts the dangersof driving motorbikes with the image of incense and a tombstone. Andartist DAD describes the consequences of urbanisation. The exhibitionruns until March 14./.