In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23, 2005 - November 23, 2025), on the evening of November 21 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts opened the special exhibition Returning, with Artworks donated by Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen - Thuy Khue in 2025. Attending were Ms. Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy - Deputy Head of Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.
The auditorium of the opening ceremony was full, many people had to stand to wait to admire the masterpieces of famous Indochina painters and Gia Dinh painters: Le Pho, Bui Xuan Phai, Vu Cao Dam, Pham Tang, Ta Ty, Nguyen Cung, Thai Tuan... What is special is that the exhibition space has just been renovated by the museum with a modern lighting system.
Pham Tang: Thien Thai (1975, oil on canvas, 300 × 120 cm, three panels, masterpiece)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Pham Dinh Tin: Mother Rhade (1960, oil on canvas)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Vu Cao Dam: Northern Women with Bare Hair (silk, 21 × 31 cm, masterpiece)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Each collection carries a distinctive mark, reflecting a historical period.
According to Mr. Tran Minh Cong - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum: "The exhibition space Returning to the works of art... opens a multi-layered dialogue between the currents of 20th-century Vietnamese fine arts. A meeting of the quintessence of Indochina fine arts with the beauty of silk, delicate structure and inner depth in the works of artists Le Pho, Bui Xuan Phai, Vu Cao Dam, Ta Ty... and feeling the strong creative personality, modern spirit in the art world of artists Trinh Cung, Dinh Cuong, Buu Chi, Vo Dinh... Initially, we planned to display and introduce 43 works, but because one work was in the maintenance phase, we had to... keep it a secret for next time".
Delegates, guests and art lovers enjoy the paintings
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Ta Ty: Fishing Village (1941, lacquer, 65 × 75 cm)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Le Pho: Anemone (Anemone) (oil on canvas, 36 × 45 cm)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
In particular, the series of works titled Unyielding Landscape by artist Le Ba Dang creates an emotional highlight. There, the landscape is not only a tangible natural scene, but also a symbol of the indomitable spirit, the will to rise up and the desire for freedom of the Vietnamese people. It is the aesthetics of protest and hope - a suppressed but intense inner voice resounding in the contemporary art space.
Appreciating the gesture of Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen when donating nearly 300 precious artifacts from 2018 to present, including some works of value and stature as national treasures, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture - Sports of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Minh Nhut was moved: "The donation of fine art works by Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen has gone beyond the framework of material generosity. It is an extraordinary cultural gesture, expressing the noble aspiration: the fine art heritage of Vietnamese people abroad to return and serve the people, in the motherland of Vietnam. The couple's heart is a bridge connecting the past with the present, art with the community and children living abroad with the national origin. We would like to remember and appreciate this invaluable contribution".
Bui Xuan Phai: Play of Life (1967, oil on canvas)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Trinh Cung: Moon on the Seine (1994, abstract oil on canvas)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
Van Den: Moonbathing (abstract lacquer, 60 × 40 cm)
Photo: QUYNH TRAN
According to poet Tran Hoang Nhan: "Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen, after a life living in a foreign land, collected many paintings by famous Vietnamese artists of all ages. If converted into money, it would be a huge fortune, but they donated it all, for no other reason than to let generations of Vietnamese people admire the masterpieces of famous artists of the country. I have seen all the works on display, and I must say they are truly wonderful."
"The collections donated and introduced by Mr. and Mrs. Le Tat Luyen at the exhibition are valuable assets not only for the fine arts industry, but also for research, teaching and promotion of Vietnamese culture. Each collection carries a unique mark, reflecting a historical period, a creative generation and a unique perspective on Vietnamese people and society through visual language that is not easily accessible in its entirety like this," added Lam Nhan, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-kiet-tac-tranh-dong-duong-hoi-huong-lan-dau-ra-mat-cong-chung-18525112209390181.htm
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