Society

Nghe An artists paint Uncle Ho with love

Diep Thanh • DNUM_BHZAFZCACF 08:15

Without needing recognition or fame, artists in Uncle Ho's homeland quietly paint him as a way of life, a form of gratitude. And in each work, the image of Uncle Ho appears both simple and great, just like the way the people of Nghe An have kept his image in their hearts for generations.

Without needing recognition or fame, artists in Uncle Ho’s homeland quietly paint him as a way of life, a way of showing gratitude. Some paint him from memories of the times they met him, others cherish every drop of emotion from film frames and book pages, then let their hearts guide them on the easel. And in each work, the image of Uncle Ho appears both simple and great, just like the way the people of Nghe An have kept his image in their hearts for generations.

Painter, sculptor Tran Minh Chau

When we met painter and sculptor Tran Minh Chau at the age of 86, the first thing that impressed us was his silver hair, his face that always had a gentle smile and his surprisingly sensitive demeanor. In him, it seems that time can only turn his hair silver, but his spirit of hard work and desire to create is still as full as ever. In a small, quiet house, next to his easel and sculpture table, he has just completed a new relief aboutUncle Ho– another proof of the never-ending source of inspiration in him when portraying Him.

Throughout his artistic life, Tran Minh Chau has always devoted a great deal of his heart to the subject of Uncle Ho. Since his days as a student at the Hanoi Fine Arts University, he was fortunate to meet Uncle Ho three times. Those emotional meetings became sacred memories, urging him to devote his creative heart to his image. In those meetings, Uncle Ho's image appeared so close: silver hair, warm eyes, clenched hands, silver beard... Those simple details have followed him throughout his life, penetrating into each work.

Tran Minh Chau has a huge collection of works about Uncle Ho, ranging from monuments, reliefs to oil paintings, wood carvings... Among them, the typical paintings are "May", "Old friends in the hometown", "Uncle Ho's hometown", "Uncle returns home"... In each work, he not only realistically depicts Uncle Ho's portrait, but also tries to portray his leisurely demeanor, bright intelligence and immense compassion.

What is valuable about Tran Minh Chau is his expressive style, which is rich in emotion but refined. He seeks simplicity and modesty, but always puts all his heart into each work so that it is both realistic and imbued with profound humanistic ideals. Each of his works is always associated with clear, very real but very profound messages. It is this approach that makes his statue of Uncle Ho always exude a beauty that is close yet sacred, simple yet great.

At a rare age, in a small house on the Hung Hoa dike, the old artist is still working hard on his art with a long list of unpublished works. He said: "Creating is my way to show my gratitude to Him, Uncle Ho is always my role model and source of creative inspiration." This respected artist also expressed his wish to donate all of his artworks to his homeland and country, so that the works can tell the story of the great leader for future generations.

Artist Ta Quang Tam

These days, at the creative camp, artist Ta Quang Tam (Ta Tam, born in 1952) is diligently working at his easel, continuing his creative journey dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh.

His latest painting - "You are Ho Chi Minh" - was born from the emotions of the historic May days - the 135th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birth and the 2025 Sen Village Festival. In the painting, Uncle Ho is simple in his familiar brown shirt, standing in the peaceful blue sky, under the bright red flag and among the blooming lotus flowers of his homeland. Not only recreating the image, Ta Quang Tam also conveys a deep wish: Uncle Ho returns in the triumph of the nation, in the joyful welcoming arms of the people, on the days of national reunification.

For more than half a century, Ta Quang Tam has created nearly 20 paintings of Uncle Ho, from realistic portraits to propaganda paintings. For him, the important thing is not only to draw every line correctly - from the silver hair, the gentle beard - but also to "capture" the lively spirit inside. And he meticulously expressed that with all his admiration for him. "Uncle Ho's eyes always smile - that is the window to the soul. The mouth shows the portrait, but the eyes show the emotions, the liveliness" - he contemplated.

Artist Ta Quang Tam’s journey of creating works about Uncle Ho has not stopped yet. He is nurturing new themes: Uncle Ho with soldiers, children, ethnic minorities… - so that the love for the homeland, the country, and the image of Uncle Ho continue to live vividly in every stroke of the brush, every color that does not fade.

Painter Nguyen Trong Hiep

As a son of the rice fields, growing up with a love for the country and painting, artist Nguyen Trong Hiep considers painting Uncle Ho a journey of respect, a way to express his deep gratitude to the great leader of the nation.

In his rich artistic heritage, Nguyen Trong Hiep has three works preserved at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the most prominent of which is the painting "Uncle Ho with Prince Souphanouvong". Painted from 2010 to 2012, the painting not only recreates a historical moment, but is also imbued with his own emotions and creativity. Based on the documents of the meeting between Uncle Ho and Prince Souphanouvong in Viet Bac in 1951, he fictionalized the poetic space: terraced fields in the Northwest, Champa flowers - the soul of Laos, and doves flying up from the inspiration of To Huu's poetry. The colors in Nguyen Trong Hiep's paintings are always strong and suggestive, just like his passionate love for the image of Uncle Ho.

Not only stopping at historical moments, Nguyen Trong Hiep also spent many years researching documentary photos, documentary films, books and newspapers to depict the image of Uncle Ho through each period with precision in form and demeanor. Typical works such as "Uncle returns to visit his hometown", "Unity is strength", "Belief in certain victory"... all show his constant efforts to renew familiar themes with his own emotions, not repeating the footsteps of his predecessors.

"Uncle Ho is an immortal figure in the hearts of the nation. I just hope that through each stroke, everyone can feel that great beauty," he shared next to a work about him that is being completed. At the age of 80, his passion for painting and inspiration for composing about leader Ho Chi Minh has never diminished.

Painter Ho Huy Hung

As one of the rare young faces who paints Uncle Ho in a unique way, artist Ho Huy Hung - a son of Nam Dan - is affirming his personal mark with works full of freedom and emotion. During the great national holidays, he has just completed 3 new paintings of Uncle Ho, as a way to silently dedicate his heart to his image.

For him, the topic of the leader is a sacred area, but it does not mean being constrained. He approaches Uncle Ho not with the usual round, aesthetic lines, but with large, contrasting, raw but powerful color blocks. Uncle Ho's skin is not smooth but is created from strong acrylic material; his eyes, beard or forehead are not lost in details but are emphasized just enough to exude a gentle, simple look. The space in the paintings is often spacious, as if filled with sunlight - both honoring Uncle Ho's simple beauty and showing the freedom in the artist's thinking.

“For me, only when I am truly moved can I pick up a brush to paint Uncle Ho,” he shared. Before starting to compose, he spends a long time watching documentaries and photos, quietly sketching the moments that make his heart flutter. When the spirit is in his mind, he can then freely draw – faithful to the emotion rather than the form.

Growing up onUncle Ho's hometownFor Ho Huy Hung, Nam Dan is not only his hometown, but also a source that silently flows in every brushstroke, silently sowing in his heart the seeds of patriotism and love for art. And the image of Uncle Ho is always there, never old in his very own artistic world.