Soldier and Painter Pham Luc to Show “Sea of Love” in Nha Trang
Author: colm on discover-nhatrang.com

The exhibition, entitled ‘Sea of Love’, by artist Pham Luc, opens on Sat 14 Oct 2016 at the Sunrise Hotel Nha Trang, These paintings are marked by artistic virtuoso mastery and he has often been referred to as the Picasso of Vietnam.

Seventy-four paintings made of oil on canvas, silk and lacquer will be on display at the show in Nha Trang for the first time. He fell in love with Nha Trang and is eager to come back to the city to share his creations with art lovers. ” “We are delighted to welcome Pham Luc to Nha Trang to display his amazing works, and think that it will be a fantastic event for tourists, expats and locals alike”, said Colm Hutchinson of Discover Nha Trang. “The city has a small but growing art community, and we want to help promote the art scene in the region”, he added.

Pham Luc was born in Hue, Vietnam in 1943, and raised in Hanoi. He was one of the official painters in the Vietnamese army and was awarded prizes in arts from The Ministry of Defense in 1990. He still lives in Hanoi and is one of the most renowned painters in the country. His works have been exhibited in France, Germany, USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan and Russia, and feature in the collections of Vietnam’s Fine Arts Museum along with the galleries of many international art collectors and curators.

The exhibition comes to Nha Trang for the first time, and will be organized by Discover Nha Trang Magazine and Pham Ha, the founder of Emperor Cruises Nha Trang and Halong Bay – himself an avid art collector.

This art exhibition will cover various painting genres including  classical European styles of townscape, landscape, seascape, still life, figurative composition, intimate nudes and self-portraits. The works are done in a variety of classical painting media: oil on canvas, oil on paper, and the artist’s trademark — oil on rice sacks; gouache and watercolor, as well as in the traditional Vietnamese lacquer technique.

Some of his older paintings have sold for over $400,000, and many have admired his works including a Harvard professor, international ambassadors in Hanoi, high-ranking Vietnamese officials and art collectors from around the world. He has a collectors’ club with over a hundred passionate members in Hanoi.

Exhibiting both French and Vietnamese influences in his work, Pham Luc is a bridge linking the 20th and 21st centuries. To appreciate this accomplished, yet humble master is to understand a part of Vietnamese culture, history, heritage, progress and life.

“I travel a lot and have been inspired by people, landscapes, living circumstances and the fate of humans, and I paint to share these emotions with others. Nha Trang is a beautiful and lovely beach destination with sun, sand, sea, sails, sight-seeing, smile, sea of love, people, landscapes, colonial town, I have fallen in love with Nha Trang, the love of the sea, human beings, and the love of people with nature, islands, beaches. I do hope  people enjoy seeing my paintings” , said Pham Luc.

Luc never limits himself in a particular style either. From his studies of the French school of European Art, Chinese watercolors in Asian art, and four of the most famous and successful Vietnamese painters since 1945 – Nghiem, Lien, Sang and Phai. Each of them  graduated from L’Ecole des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine but diverged on totally different artistic paths – Nghiem’s conventional style, Lien’s softness and femininity, Sang’s strength, and Phai’s realism. Luc’s art reflects the connection of East meets West. He also challenges himself in different styles – oil paintings, lacquer, silk paintings, and wood engraving, in abstract, portrait, realism, impressionism, and watercolors.

“Paintings by Pham Luc are attractive due to liberal lines and strange color tones which arouse much emotion in viewers, especially the paintings which feature Vietnamese characters, which makes them resonate with Vietnamese people,” Pham Ha, Co-Founder of Emperor Cruises Vietnam said.

“Built with passion, Emperor Cruises is proudly affiliated with the master Pham Luc as travel, cruising, food, wine, hospitality, music and art represent our rich Vietnamese history, culture, nature and heritage. All of these combined,  help to create memories for the most sophisticated of travelers.”

The show runs from 14 to Oct 22 at Sunrise Hotel Nha Trang, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

The event will have a VIP Guest in the form of Dr. Nguyen Si Dung, a member of The National Assembly of Vietnam. A former high-ranking diplomat, he is an avid art collector and the honorary president of the Pham Luc Fan Club.

Pham Luc’s artworks will also be on display at various luxury hotels in the city, and at some select locations including LIVINcollective, Rooftop Lounge and Skylight. Pham Ha has immediate plans to open a Pham Luc Art Gallery to permanently display his amazing works.

Discover NT will cooperate also cooperate with Pham Luc for further exhibitions on the themes of people, culture, landscapes, and inspirations – beginning with an exhibition next year entitles “ Northern Vietnam Secrets”.