According to “Dictionary of artist” by art critic Quang Viet, artist Le Huy Hoa was from Thach Ha district, Ha Tinh province. Studied in University of Vietnam Fine Arts, “Resistance Course”
Portrait of painter Le Huy Hoa (1932- 1997)
First prize in book design for “Culture and art are also a front” (1953) of President Ho Chi Minh; Served in Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
Since peace is restored, he is the main artist of the Vietnamese animation studio; Founding member of Vietnam Fine Arts Association.
Early, he painted mainly still-lifes and landscape (oil or lacquer), style in favor of decorative graphics.
Since 1972, he started on two series of large-format oil paintings “Song of Dong Loc crossroad” (First prize Nation Fine Arts Exhibition 1990) and “Aspiration” – as an entrance to a realism trend (réal-isme magique) in Surrealism by the technique creating illusion of cool colors…
Then he came back with landscapes, painting of young women, expressing symbolic motifs of ancient sculpture.
This is one of the best works in Le Huy Hoa’s career. For many years, photos of this work have been printed in many books, but a few people have seen it in real life. Not only that, the work has been through many times of edit to be printed, it had been cut one of the most important, the author’s signature and dedication of the work. In the book “Vietnames works of silk” – Fine Arts Publisher, 1992, noted “Young woman sitting on pedestal by an ancient tiger painting”.
Le Huy Hoa (1932- 1997). Elegant. Silk. 45×65 cm
In fact, the work’s named “Elegant – Đoan trang”. This had been noted clearly in 2 stickers on the back of the work’s panel. One label seems like ‘name card’ written clearly “ELEGANCE” Silk… by LE HUY HOA artist. Subject “ĐOAN TRANG” silk material. Dimension 65×45 cm. Not only that, it also has the address 38 Hoang Hoa Tham (private house of artist Le Huy Hoa) with the price of 1600 USD. The second label also has the same content noted clearly Hanoi Arts and Culture Association. Perhaps this is the receipt for the paintings sent to The Association in 1990s.
When we have our chance to meet the original work, in addition to Le Huy Hoa’s signature, there is also the precious dedication “Tặng T.B.L” (Giving T.B.L). Just base on those 3 precious words, knowing a little about his life, we can immediately understand the story of the work. T.B.L was for Tran Bach Lien, the woman who loved him dearly since 1973; together with him and care for him until his death in 1997.
The work depicts a young woman sitting on a pedestal in a bright yellow dress next to a tiger painting. The pedestal (porcelain) is stylized with very unique decorative motifs, strangely beautiful. Perhaps, without the image of that porcelain pedestal, the work wouldn’t have such a special aesthetic effect like that.
Le Huy Hoa’s strength is the “graphic decoration” works. He made perspective near and far by light and dark on shapes. In the ‘Elegant’ he only used flat shapes laid together. Details, figures are created using space of conventionality, like Dong Ho folk works.
The femininity, tenderness, and elegance of the female character feels like it’s created from love in the gentle strokes full of feelings from the artist.
When being asked about the situation of the work, Ms Bach Lien confided: “In those days, there was not much to do, so we had a lot of time for painting. Just paint if you want to paint.” She also added, why the tiger in the work was shaped by Le Huy Hoa almost like the main character because it was the year when she was born (she born in 1938, a year of Tiger in Lunar calendar).
At first, the work belonged to a famous collector in Hanoi. This collector was very interested in the work, went back and forth at the artist’s house many times to ask to buy it, but to no avail. According to Ms Tran Bach Lien, in the last years of his life, the artist had to sell his beloved work to have more money to pay for his medical treatment.
Artist Le Huy Hoa only created this one original ‘Elegant’ silk work – Ms Tran Bach Lien confirmed.
In the end everything will leave, will go into the past. Only love remains in the minds of the living.
It’s the magic of love.
Written by Viet Art View
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