On the first floor, Building B, Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum (66 Nguyễn Thái Học, Hà Nội), through the language of art, color, and space of the thematic exhibition ‘Hồ Chí Minh in visual art’ is telling the story of a man who lived a full life for the nation.
The exhibition is a special event, held to celebrate the 135th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh’s birthday (May 19, 1890 – May 19, 2025). The exhibition opens to visitors free of charge from May 16, 2025 to May 30, 2025.
FROM HISTORY TO ART
The remarkable point of the exhibition lies not only in the richness of materials, but also in the way the artists have portrayed history with personal emotions. The 60 works on display are all impressive and unique selections from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, expressed in various forms of painting, sculpture, etc. on materials such as embroidery, wood engraving, paper cut, etc. The works not only recreate the important milestones of President Hồ Chí Minh’s life, but also lead viewers to explore memories – where art is not only a tool for recording, but also becomes a sincere, poetic and expressive gratitude.
From his youth, the image of Uncle Hồ appeared in ‘Mr Cung learning’ by Nguyễn Văn Giáo; continuing through ‘Uncle Hồ’s returns to Pắc Bó in spring’ by Dương Tuấn, the public will recall an important historical stage, the day Uncle Hồ crossed the border and returned to Cao Bằng (January 28, 1941), after more than 30 years of seeking a way to save the country. The work is not just an illustration, but the artist’s own feelings about a revolutionary spring, the spring of hope, of the country’s rebirth.
NGUYỄN VĂN GIÁO (1916 – 1996). MR CUNG LEARNING. 1971. GOUACHE
DƯƠNG TUẤN (1935-1990). UNCLE HỒ RETURNS TO PẮC BÓ. GOUACHE
Meanwhile, the work ‘Uncle Hồ reading the declaration’ by Nguyễn Dương evokes the solemnity, emotion, filled with the color of victory on the historic autumn morning of September 2, 1945. The flags and flowers were flying brightly, but it felt like the whole space was silent to listen to every word Uncle Hồ said.
NGUYỄN DƯƠNG. UNCLE HỒ READING THE DECLARATION. 1979. GOUACHE
The image of President Hồ Chí Minh attached to the war zone, accompanying the revolution and fighting on the front lines is also vividly depicted through the works: ‘President Hồ Chí Minh in Việt Bắc war zone by Phan Kế An, ‘Uncle Hồ in Việt Bắc’ by Nguyễn Văn Tỵ, ‘Leaving the hut, Uncle Hồ continues to march’ by Trọng Kiệm, ‘Uncle at work’ by Trần Đình Thọ, ‘Uncle Hồ in the campaign’ by Nguyễn Đức Dụ and the sculpture of the same name by Nguyễn Phú Cường.
The daily life of President Hồ Chí Minh is also expressed through simple and profound artistic perspectives. Typical are ‘Uncle Hồ fishing’ by Nguyễn Nghĩa Duyện, ‘Uncle Hồ’s house in the Presidential Palace’ by Lương Xuân Nhị, ‘Uncle Hồ’s stone table’ by Phạm Đức Cường and ‘Uncle Hồ’s house in Kim Liên, Nghệ An’ by Trần Văn Cẩn – works that express the closeness and simplicity in the daily life of the great leader.
LƯƠNG XUÂN NHỊ (1914 – 2006). UNCLE HỒ’S HOUSE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE. 1970. OIL
ĐỖ HỮU HUỀ (1935 – 2022). UNCLE HỒ VISITS THE CLASS. 1976. OIL
The deep affection between Uncle Hồ and the people is also one of the prominent subjects of the exhibition, expressed through a series of works such as ‘Uncle hồ visits the primary school’ by Đỗ Hữu Huề, ‘Uncle Hồ visits the class’ by Hoàng Đạo Khánh, ‘Uncle Hồ with farmers’ by Văn Thơ, ‘Uncle Hồ with doctors’ by Trọng Kiệm.
NGUYỄN QUANG PHÒNG (1925 – 2013). FOREVER GRATEFUL TO UNCLE HỒ. 1969. GOUACHE
HUỲNH VĂN GẤM (1922 – 1987). PRESIDENT HỒ CHÍ MINH. 1953
The works on display have become familiar to generations of Vietnamese people, because they are not only kept in museums, but also appear in textbooks, documentaries, and cultural publications. However, when seen in this exhibition space, with light, context, and the connected flow of history, the works of art seem to take on a new life.
ARTWORKS ABOUT PRESIDENT HỒ CHÍ MINH BY ARTISTS DAVID THOMAS (1946) AND LEE SANG PHIL (1961)
Notably in the exhibition are some works in which the artists use a more modern style but always focus on portraying the leader. This shows that artists have sought to find for the image of President Hồ Chí Minh new symbolic visual art techniques. That continuity is proof that: No matter how time passes, no matter how society changes, the image of Uncle Hồ still lives forever in the artistic consciousness of the country – as an endless source of inspiration. It can be said that, each work carries within it a story about Uncle Hồ, about the people, about the revolution, and about the artist who devoted his heart to that sacred image. That is a great but simple Hồ Chí Minh, noble but not distant, a person who is always in the consciousness of the Vietnamese people.
WHEN ART BECOMES A COMMUNITY JOURNEY
Through the hands of the artists, the image of Uncle Hồ appears with simplicity, closeness but also full of majesty and intelligence. The exhibition not only helps the public understand more about Uncle Hồ but also raises national pride and love for the homeland.
INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition not only attracts professionals or artists, but also welcomes a large audience – from students, to families, international guests. Not simply a cultural event, the exhibition ‘Hồ Chí Minh in visual art’ is a vivid expression of how art can become a bridge between the past and the present, between individuals and the community, between history and the future.
Because, as President Hồ Chí Minh once said: “Culture and art are also a front. Artists are soldiers on that front.” And in that front, the artists and soldiers have contributed to preserving and spreading the image of a great leader – the image of Hồ Chí Minh in the heart of Vietnamese art.
WRITTEN BY VIET ART VIEW
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