“Mạch Xuân” Art Exhibition By Pham Luc

“Mạch Xuân” – Spring Pulse Art Exhibition By Pham Luc

War, Peace, Aspirations, Spring

The 29th exhibition in the life of artist Pham Luc, who is often referred to as the Picasso of Vietnam, will take place in March 2017. All 75 paintings are based on the theme of “The Pulse of Spring” (Mạch Xuân) portraying springtime during periods of war, peace and the ambitions of soldier and painter. This is the first time such a unique exhibition is held in Vietnam,  held from March 16 to April 30, 2017 on the 5 star, Emperor Cruises Halong – the first ever art cruise in Asia.

“Sea of Love” Art Exhibiton in Nha Trang (Photo: Discover Nha Trang)

This will also be Pham Luc’s debut exhibition in Halong Bay, Quang Ninh Province, on the occasion of celebrating his 75th birthday and almost 70 years as an artist, and will be organized by collector, Pham Ha. In conjunction with the event, Pham Ha, a huge painting enthusiast and avid collector of Pham Luc’s works, will launch a book about the artist entitled, “The Picasso of Vietnam, Paintings, and Life.”

According to the artist, this exhibition conveys the message of what an eternal spring, and a desire for a democratic spring of happiness to the people of Vietnam. His paintings often present the activities of everyday life with simple content, with rich in historical and cultural meaning.

With different artistic creations, Pham Luc is a master of many genres including Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Abstract, Realism, and Surrealism, in a range a lot of mediums such as paper, porcelain, oil on rice sacks, lacquer, silk,  and woodcarvings. The media, art dealers and art critics alike agree that Pham Luc is one of the most influential painters in Vietnamese contemporary arts, and his instantly recognizable artworks are famous internationally .

In this exhibition, the spring in Pham Luc’s works is the linking of two centuries filled with vivid memories. Especially, a valuable sketch about war on paper, part of the collection of Pham Ha, was created in 1965 when Pham Luc was just twenty years old.  It portrays his first memories of war and is of immense cultural value.

Several of the exhibited works detail the daily life of fishermen in Quang Ninh. The fish markets, fishing villages, and harbors are always bustling with buyers and sellers, along with the blue sea, white sand, sunshine and brown sails of the boats make for spectacular scenes. In particular, he draws many pictures of women, displaying their youthfulness, feminine beauty and nobility.

Spring is portrayed in three regions of Vietnam: the North, Central Coast and South of the country. New Year paintings, Spring Festivals and occasions during this season are prominent, and viewers will love a particular painting entitled “Tết độc lập Ất Mão, 1975” ( Independent Spring, 1975) when the North and South unification took place.

From past to present, spring is always colorful and awakens joy and happiness in the heart of every individual. These emotions are created by the proliferation of all species and a new cycle of life. Spring is the time of the Lunar New Year and numerous festivals, and is a time for family reunion. As a result, it is considered the most sacred time of year in Vietnam.

Memories of past springtimes combine with the grace and poise of such a variety of depictions in Pham Luc’s works to inspire emotions in the viewer of prosperity, freedom, happiness to everyone and nation.

Mr. Pham Ha, co-founder Emperor Cruises, is not only a collector but also one of Pham Luc’s closest friends. “Each artwork of Pham Luc is unique, full of love, hope and meaning, expressing his special style,” Mr Ha shared. “His art helps viewers understand the culture of Vietnam through visual language and artistic expression, so you can truly appreciate the artistic value of his works.”

Collector Pham Ha and Artist Pham Luc

The soldier and painter, Pham Luc was born in 1943 in Hue. After 35 years serving his country, he now lives in Hanoi. He is known for oil, lacquer, gouache and watercolor works with many different themes. So far, he has organized nearly 30 domestic and foreign exhibitions. Many of his works have been purchased for the painting collections of international collectors.