Art of Trần Phúc Duyên. An exhibition named “Fated Encounters” introducing almost 150 works of Duyên will open in HCM City this weekend. – Photo from organisers

HCM CITY – A retrospective exhibition titled “Fated Encounters: Trần Phúc Duyên” will be organised in HCM City from July 22 to August 6, 2023 at Quang San Museum on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of artist Trần Phúc Duyên (1923-1993).

It has been seventy-one years since Trần Phúc Duyên introduced 30 lacquer works at his first exhibition in HCM City.

“Fated Encounters” introduces almost 150 works exemplary of the life-long career of Trần Phúc Duyên. It explores oeuvres dated from his graduation from the L’École-des-Beaux-Arts Class 16 (1942-1945), his atelier period (1948-1954), his time in France (1954-1968) and Switzerland (1968-1993), until his passing.

During his lifetime, Duyên had many exhibitions. However, this particular one features first-publicised pieces and showcases all genres that the artist worked with: silking painting, woodcut printing and sketches.

The layout of the exhibition consists of a two-floor space with a total area of about 600sq.m. The works are divided into major themes, from figurative to minimalistic: everyday life, landscape, still life and miniature, ink-wash and zen art, abstracts and commemoration.

After Duyên passed away in 1993, all his works and notes were packed and stored in a warehouse at the suburb of Bern, the capital of Switzerland.

For the next twenty years, this treasure chest was forgotten. Not until 2018 was it discovered coincidentally by two collectors, Phạm Quốc Đạt and Lê Quang Vinh.

Their destined journey as the chosen collectors of Trần Phúc Duyên then started. They have dedicated their passionate efforts to tracing the information about the artist and met with his family in France and Việt Nam.

“As diaspora ourselves, we were deeply touched when we first marveled at his masterpieces, which were covered under the dust of time. When we flipped through the sketches of his student time at L’Ecole-des- Beaux-Arts de L’Indochine and turned the pages of his notebooks, we promised to bring him and his art back to Việt Nam as soon as possible,” the two collectors said.

“We had no doubt that he would be wholeheartedly embraced by the Vietnamese audience. His soul, after years of wandering, will finally get reunited with his home, free to fly upon the ripening paddy fields of his village in Hà Tây province. He will once again spread his gaze at the mesmerising Hạ Long Bay where he and his classmates visited to find inspiration, bathe in the silent moonlight, and ultimately be cuddled in the arms of his Motherland.”

Trần Phúc Duyên belonged to the last generation of L’École-des-Beaux-Arts. He was one of those who migrated to Europe, including Lê Phổ, Vũ Cao Đàm, Mai Thứ, Lê Thị Lựu, Phạm Thúc Chương, Võ Lăng, Phạm Tăng. But he was the only one to pursue lacquer as his life-long passion.

He titled himself an “artiste laqueur” (họa sỹ sơn mài) as early as the beginning of the 1950s, when he was still in Hà Nội. He stamped the title in the back of his lacquer works. Indeed, he continued in that role until the very end of his career.

Even when he moved to Europe, the geographical distance and material shortages could not stop Duyên from persevering with his love for lacquer and his endeavour to seek and experiment with lacquer creations. He succeeded in transforming a décor method into a genre of art. In the sky of art, he shone brightly as an example of artistic talent and commitment.

To accompany this exhibition, there will be a book to introduce Trần Phúc Duyên’s life and career. It will be published in 2023 with the sponsorship of Phạm-Lê Collection, featuring commentaries from international and Vietnamese art scholars.

Phạm Lê Collection is also building an archive of Trần Phúc Duyên with the hope to present a full inventory of Trần Phúc Duyên’s art works. All documents will be uploaded onto the website dedicated to him at https://www.tranphucduyen.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/tranphucduyen. -- VNS