Siu Quy - The bird returning home

(GLO) - The art community in the mountainous region is no longer surprised to see painter Siu Quy constantly traveling back and forth between Ho Chi Minh City and Pleiku. One is where he established his career, the other is his hometown. Like a bird returning home, he is actively connecting with and organizing many meaningful activities in the land where he was born and raised.

1. Artist Siu Quy - Standing Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association - is a prominent visual artist with numerous exhibitions and creative works imbued with a contemporary spirit . Passionate about the art of color, he enrolled in the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts and graduated in 1999. Just six years later, at the National Fine Arts Exhibition (2000-2005), his work "Thirst" - with its masterful portrayal of the complexities of urban life - was awarded a gold medal.

In 2006, he continued to win first prize at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Exhibition. To date, Siu Quy has had two solo exhibitions and participated in more than 80 group exhibitions, industry exhibitions, and thematic exhibitions throughout the country.

Artist Siu Quy admires paintings by his first teacher, the late artist Xu Man, at the Pleiku Museum. Photo: Phuong Duyen.

Living in a large city yet still deeply attached to the mountains and forests, this sentiment has formed two distinct themes in his artistic career. Notably, the person who inspired in him the echoes of the vast wilderness was the late painter Xu Man - the first person in the Central Highlands to be honored with the State Prize for Literature and Art in the field of fine arts.

Artist Siu Quy recalled: In 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association organized a field trip to Gia Lai . He happened to learn that the Pleiku Museum had once held an exhibition of paintings by artist Xu Man, but only 20 of them were originals; the rest had to be borrowed and reprinted.

The family of artist Xu Man in Plei Bong (Mang Yang commune) no longer possesses any of his works, as most have been collected by museums and individuals both domestically and internationally. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts holds the largest collection, with 48 paintings.

Based on the above facts, in September 2024, artist Siu Quy, representing the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association, donated 32 paintings by artist Xu Man to the Pleiku Museum for preservation and display, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the renowned artist's birth. Thanks to this donation, the Pleiku Museum now possesses a substantial collection of 52 paintings by Xu Man. "I am happy that the legacy of artist Xu Man has returned to its rightful place to spread the love of art," he shared.

2. From that donation, a deep desire was awakened in the heart of this renowned artist: to contribute to "enriching" the cultural and spiritual life of his homeland, Gia Lai . Since then, in his role as manager, painter Siu Quy has actively coordinated and organized large-scale exhibitions, displays, and art exchanges.

One notable example is the meeting between artists from Gia Lai and Ho Chi Minh City at the "Harmony" art exhibition, held at the Pleiku Museum from November 15 to 25, 2025. This was considered an impressive dialogue between artists and artists, and artists and the public, through 80 exhibited works.

Artist Siu Quy (second from the left), representing the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association, presents a painting by the late artist Xu Man to the Pleiku Museum. Photo: Provided by the artist.

Most recently, at the end of March 2026, artist Siu Quy acted as a bridge to facilitate the donation of approximately 25 valuable wooden sculptures to the Pleiku Museum by artist Ly Khac Nhu – a prominent figure in Saigon's ink painting scene. This provides locals and tourists with more opportunities to appreciate the art of wood carving.

During his return trip with artist Ly Khac Nhu to work with the Pleiku Museum, artist Siu Quy also agreed on an important point: In 2026, the first exhibition of ink paintings with the theme of the Central Highlands will be held there.

That's Siu Quy for you, always finding ways to return and do practical things for Gia Lai. Confirming this, the Director of the Pleiku Museum, Le Thanh Tuan, said: "Artist Siu Quy is always passionate about his homeland. Not only does he coordinate exhibitions and art exchanges, but he also connects and brings many valuable artifacts back to where they belong, while contributing to promoting the culture of Gia Lai in particular and the Central Highlands in general."

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/siu-quy-canh-chim-tim-ve-post585975.html