The artist drew Uncle Ho with a special brushstroke

May vibes

For artists, drawing portraits of leaders is a difficult subject, because everyone knows about leaders, everyone can judge and artists are easily drawn into comparisons and comments, especially when there have been many people who have succeeded with this subject before. When drawing about leaders, people often choose the method of portraying with an aesthetic spirit, rounded, neat. Yet young artist Ho Huy Hung still draws and draws with a very different spirit.

A painting in the series "May Sunshine" by Artist Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

“I draw Uncle Ho when I feel emotional and have no intention of proving or expressing anything. To draw Uncle Ho's portrait, I watch a lot of pictures and documentaries about him. When I capture beautiful and touching moments, I choose to save them by sketching. This method helps me understand and memorize every line and feature of Uncle Ho, and absorb his spirit. So that when I officially start composing, I can confidently write without being held back by the fear of being "different". I always want to draw Uncle Ho with the most rustic, closest, most authentic beauty, most faithful to my emotions" - Mr. Hung shared.

In the painting of artist Ho Huy Hung,beloved Uncle Hoappear through the free and emotional strokes. Uncle Ho's skin is not characterized by smooth layers of color but is created by strong color blocks typical of acrylic material. The lines on the face do not fall into detail but only emphasize enough to show the characteristics. The surrounding space is created by large, free, contrasting and clear color blocks like sunshine... This way of expression does not take too much time and helps him convey his emotions into the painting in the most complete way. This serious working attitude and creative process explain why all of the paintings of Uncle Ho by artist Ho Huy Hung are extremely loved by collectors and are bought as soon as they are completed.

Portrait of President Ho Chi Minh by artist Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

Not only practicing lines with sketching, Mr. Hung also chooses sculpture to express portraits.President Ho Chi MinhThis is a form of visual art that requires the artist to be truly solid in their profession, understand the character and be passionate about the work.

Born and raised in Nam Dan, lotus is also a favorite subject of artist Ho Huy Hung. Many people even think that this subject can completely become his "trademark". However, like the leader's paintings, Hung does not paint lotus when it is in its prime, brilliant spring, he paints when the lotus has withered, the flowers have wilted, the leaves have decayed... Explaining this difference, he said: "In the eyes of many people, withered lotus flowers, withered lotus clumps, withered lotus branches, dry lotus pods are ugly, are trash. But to me, they are masterpieces of nature. I see the beauty of rebirth in that withering and am truly moved by it. And just like that, at the end of the lotus season, I carry my board and paints and passionately create."

Lotus is a favorite theme of painter Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

Instead of painting blooming lotuses, artist Ho Huy Hung finds vitality in withered lotuses. Photo: NVCC

The lotus paintings of artist Ho Huy Hung have a very strong writing style. The whole large painting sometimes only depicts and emphasizes a few flowers, or a few leaves, or a few lotus buds... the rest are rough, suggestive strokes full of improvisation. The main color tones are often dark, cold colors, dotted with a bit of warmth of faded lotus petals. In addition to the overall spirit of the painting, those prominent, emphasized details become factors that lead the viewer into the painting, attracting the viewer's attention in a very subtle way.

Shame and the journey of training

In recent years, besides teaching, he has also been a prolific artist, participated in many exhibitions, won many awards for his works, and has been recognized by experts for his contributions to painting. To embark on this sublime artistic journey, few people know that artist Ho Huy Hung has gone through many ups and downs.

Artist Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

Born into a poor family, little Ho Huy Hung's childhood was associated with patched green pants, worn-out sandals that were broken and patched countless times... He loved to draw, but when the whole family's hunger depended on his mother's thin fish tray, Hung never thought about taking extra classes or studying for art exams.

After graduating from high school, Hung failed the entrance exam to Hue Fine Arts Pedagogy School, joined the army and became a soldier specializing in drawing slogans. After 2 years in the army, Hung returned to study Korean with the intention of exporting labor but was also unsuccessful. The moment that changed the life of the young man Ho Huy Hung was probably when he received the news that a close friend of his had passed the university entrance exam while he himself was struggling with a cyclo full of soft drinks. Happy for his friend, ashamed for himself, Hung determined to conquer his dream of painting.

Creative space of young artist Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

Recalling the turning point of that year, Mr. Hung said: “At that time, I lost everyone's trust, except for my sister. She gave me another chance to review and retake the exam. So I packed my bags and went to Nha Trang, reviewed and modeled for 2 months, then returned to Hue to review for another 2 weeks. And I myself could not believe that after that short review period, I passed 3 schools at once. From then on, I became one of the oldest students in the Faculty of Fine Arts - Hue University of Arts”.

Graduating with a good degree, Mr. Hung was accepted as a lecturer at the College.Culture and ArtsNghe An and later continued to study for a master's degree at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts - a ladder that is not easy to conquer. Looking back on his journey of pursuing painting, Hung mused: "I feel lucky to have had 4 years of university to immerse myself in the artistic space, the freedom, the innocence in Hue and 2 years of master's to learn how to control and master those freedoms. It's like a kite and a string."

Portrait of President Ho Chi Minh by artist Ho Huy Hung. Photo: NVCC

Although he came to art quite late, the perseverance in pursuing his passion, the serious and meticulous attitude in his creations of young artist Ho Huy Hung has helped him reap worthy achievements, be loved by his colleagues and have many collectors supporting him. Besides his artistic activities, artist Ho Huy Hung also actively participates in meaningful charity activities, making many contributions to his unit and locality. When asked if his hometown has any influence on his artistic path, he was honest and simple: "Although I am very proud to be born and raised in my hometown,Uncle HoBut I don't want to rely on that reason to create influence for myself. I also don't want to confine myself to a fixed topic. I'm just a painter like any other painter with my own small art world. And in that world, I always give Uncle Ho and my homeland the most important position."