Luong Xuan Nhi
1914-2006
The artist once commented about his work: “I found a rule in the structures of mountain, river, plants, and fields. I express my emotion through the colors of nature.” Known as the painter of beauty and the master of the color green, Luong Xuan Nhi portrays elegant women and the Vietnamese landscape by adopting color variations and soft brushwork. He graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine in 1937, followed by participating in the International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques in Paris, where 86 of Nhi’s silk paintings were on display. During his early career, the artist established his reputation by making intricate silk paintings depicting Vietnamese rural life in a romantic yet realistic fashion.
Additionally, Luong Xuan Nhi was active in the domestic art scene and facilitated numerous activities that helped support young Vietnamese artists, such as organizing competitions that offered grants to art school students and recent graduates. He is also a founding member of the FARTA (Foyer de l'Art Annamite, 'Home of Annamese Art’) along with To Ngoc Van, Tran Van Can, and Le Van De, which led to the two salon exhibitions in 1943-1944 in Hanoi.
Since the Resistance Movement started in 1945, Luong Xuan Nhi became increasingly involved in anti-war activities. He was responsible for making propaganda paintings intended to bring up morality among the soldiers. After the North restored peace in 1954, the artist returned to Hanoi and lectured at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts for over thirty years. Towards his later career, he adopted a solid Socialist view as he went on several trips to Eastern Europe and participated in multiple official exhibitions.