"Two good" village elders of Ia Phi commune

(GLO)- Mr. Ro Cham Khir (born in 1954, Kenh village, Ia Phi commune, Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province) not only has talented hands in painting unique oil paintings and folk wooden statues, but is also a prestigious village elder trusted by the community.

Mr. Ro Cham Khir introduces his work. Photo: RH

At the age of 71, Mr. Ro Cham Khir is still diligently working with each brush stroke to create unique, artistic oil paintings. "When I was young, I often held a pencil to draw on wooden walls, house walls, anything that appeared in my imagination became a drawing. From the initial simple pictures, my passion for painting grew over the years, and my drawing skills also became more and more proficient," Mr. Khir recalled.

His painting skills were recognized by the villagers, trusted and invited to paint decorations for newly built houses, sacred tombs... "Once, a group of art students from Hanoi came to Ia Phi commune to learn about the culture of the Jrai people. When they saw the paintings around the tombs, they could not hide their surprise and admiration. The commune officials introduced the works and invited me to meet the group. After that, I was trusted to lead the group to attend the tomb abandonment festival, then returned to the village to paint scenes of people bathing in the stream and collecting water drops. Together we recorded those simple moments through paintings. Seeing me paint quickly, beautifully and full of emotion, everyone was surprised and praised" - Mr. Khir recalled.

Mr. Khir mainly paints with oil paints. For him, painting is not simply an art but also a way to preserve and convey the culture and soul of the Jrai people to everyone. The content of his paintings often revolves around natural landscapes, daily life and work of the village. Whenever people in the village or neighboring areas build new houses, communal houses or tombs, they invite him to come and paint to decorate them. Before painting, they tell him the story and give him ideas, he listens carefully and then expresses them with realistic and vivid strokes.

“They told me the story, I listened and then drew it in pictures. I drew whatever picture they liked. I drew it out of passion and not for any reward. As long as people liked it, I was happy,” Mr. Khir confided.

The paintings drawn by Mr. Ro Cham Khir are simple but full of artistry. Photo: RH

Not only good at drawing, Mr. Khir is also good at carving folk wooden statues. The statues he carved are simple but very soulful, and are appreciated by the people. He also regularly represents the commune in competitions. At the 2013 Gong Art Performance Competition, Sculpture Carving and Brocade Weaving Competition of Chu Pah District; 2017 Batching, Sculpture Carving and Brocade Weaving Competition of Chu Pah District, he won second prize in sculpture.

As a village elder, Mr. Khir is very active in maintaining security and order in the village. Previously, the village was troubled by bad elements from other places, luring young people into wrong paths such as fighting and drug use. Realizing the importance of maintaining peace in the village, he coordinated with the police force and local authorities to propagate and remind people to raise awareness, avoid violating the law, and directly explain to young people about the harmful effects of drugs. Thanks to that, the security and order situation in the village has gradually stabilized, and social evils have been pushed back.

Mrs. Ro Cham Hih (Kheen village) expressed: Mr. Khir is a sincere person, trusted by the villagers. Whoever needs painting to decorate their house, sculpting statues or asking for anything, he is willing to help. He is not only good at painting but also often reminds young people to stay away from social evils. Mr. Khir always maintains a gentle, close attitude and knows how to care for everyone, so he is loved by everyone.

Ms. Ro Cham Ayen, a civil servant of the Culture and Information Department of the People's Committee of Ia Phi Commune, commented: Mr. Ro Cham Khir is a village elder with knowledge and responsibility to the community. With his prestige, he has helped people understand and comply with the Party's policies and the State's laws. At the same time, he also actively participates in reconciling conflicts and disputes arising in the community, contributing to maintaining security and order and strengthening the great national unity bloc.

With his positive contributions, in 2024, Mr. Ro Cham Khir was awarded a certificate of merit by the Director of Gia Lai Provincial Police for his outstanding achievements in the movement of the whole people to protect national security, period 2022-2023.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/gia-lang-2-gioi-cua-xa-ia-phi-post329215.html