Thirty artworks with the theme of Vietnamese rural landscape by Chu Manh Chan are on display at an exhibition entitled “The region of memory” which runs from March 26 to April 3 at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hanoi.

Talented painter Chu Manh Chan. Photo: Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts

Born in 1933 in Chang Son commune, Thach That district, Hanoi, painter Chu Manh Chan is one of the artists who early applied European techniques to Vietnamese traditional lacquer art.

He has spent almost all of his life on painting focusing on Vietnamese countryside landscapes. His lifetime’s desire is to, as he said, “preserve the traditional beauties that are gradually being forgotten”.

In 2020, Chu Manh Chan was given the honorific title of People's Artist by the government.

The painting entitled "Ca tru Singing" by painter Chu Manh Chan.

According to the painter, his whole life has been associated with the rural villages where gentle farmers, peaceful landscapes and ancient communal houses are a great source of inspirations for his career.

The “Region of Memory” exhibition includes 30 selected lacquer and pigment artworks by talented painter Chu Manh Chan.

Some of the outstanding paintings are the “Ca tru” folk singing, Tay Phuong Pagoda, the Village’s Gate, Tho Ha Village’s Gate and Lang Ha Village Communal House. 

The outstanding lacquer panting entitled “Thay Pagoda Festival”, which is offered for VND5 billions (US$217,000)

In particular, the exhibition also introduces a large lacquer painting called “Thay Pagoda Festival”, which vividly reproduces the old biggest festival in “Xu Doai” (Son Tay Town, today Hanoi) held in a vibrant atmosphere, packed with festival goers, and buoyant with traditional folk games in the expansive landscape of a charming mountainous region.

The artist painted this lacquer artwork for over 10 years. An art collector offered VND5 billions (US$217,000) for it but the painter’s family turned down the deal.

The exhibition is opened to public until April 3 at Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts. Opening hours: 8.30am to 5pm daily (except Monday). Entrance fee: VND40,000 ($1.7)/ adult & VND20,000 ($0.8)/ children.

Below are more paintings in the “Region of Memory” exhibition by Chu Manh Chan: