BEARING WITNESS: 'Bình Giã Battle', an oil on canvas, is on display at the Hành Trình Huỳnh Phương Đông (The Journey of Huỳnh Phương Đông) exhibition opening at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum until March 30. VNS Photo Phương Mai

HCM CITY A massive collection of sketches and paintings depicting the history and development of Việt Nam by late painter-soldier Huỳnh Phương Đông is on display at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum.

The exhibition is part of an exhibition tour entitled Hành Trình Huỳnh Phương Đông (The Journey of Huỳnh Phương Đông) to mark the 50th anniversary of South Việt Nam Liberation and National Reunification (April 30, 2025) and celebrate the artist’s 100th birthday (1925–2025).

The tour goes through HCM City and Hà Nội, introducing more than 700 works from a collection of 3,000 works kept by Đông’s family.

The exhibition displays 146 sketches and oil and canvas paintings reflecting battlefields in the South during the two Indochina wars.

Đông depicted fierce battles such as Ấp Bắc in 1963 in Mỹ Tho Province (now Tiền Giang Province), Bình Giã in 1964 in Phước Tuy Province (now Đồng Nai Province), and the Mậu Thân General Offensive in 1968.

He also created portraits of his comrades and people during wartime to keep in his memory and express his admiration for the important figures in Vietnamese history.

Đông said he drew hundreds of portraits of his friends and comrades. Most of them were very young men and women but were brave people. He felt a responsibility to keep memories of them.

A series of three paintings portraying soldiers in wartime.

The showcase highlights the landscape and development of the country through his field trips across Việt Nam during peacetime.

He travelled from the Mekong Delta provinces of Cà Mau and Đồng Tháp to central and northern provinces and cities of Đà Nẵng, Vinh and Hải Phòng to capture the beauty of the landscape and nature of the country.

Đông said, “I paint nature to remember my homeland, to preserve what war could not completely destroy.”

Famous infrastructure constructions of the country were depicted in his paintings such as the Trị An Hydropower Plant in Đồng Nai, the largest hydropower project in the region, and the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel under the Sài Gòn River.

The exhibition includes sketches reflecting meaningful and memorable moments he experienced during his international work trips to countries such as Cuba, China, France and Italy between 1977 and 2006.

Still paintings are featured as well.

“It’s emotional. Looking at the paintings helped me learn more about the history of our country and people and the soldiers’ patriotism and bravery during the resistance wars to protect the nation,” Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, a student of the Đồng Nai Fine Arts College, said.

After the exhibition in HCM City, the tour will move to the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum in Hà Nội on April 10.

In addition, the artist’s family will release a series of 10 photo books entitled Hành Trình Huỳnh Phương Đông to introduce 2,500 of his sketches and paintings to the public and art lovers on the Reunification Day.

Đông, born Huỳnh Công Nhân in 1925 in Bình Hòa – Gia Định Province (now HCM City).

After graduating from the Gia Định Fine Arts Practicing School (now HCM City Fine Arts University) in 1945, he joined the resistance army and then continued his studies at the Hà Nội College of Fine Arts (now Việt Nam University of Fine Arts) from 1957 to 1963.

He became a member of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association in 1957.

He was head of the Liberation Painting Studio from 1971 to 1975 and trained many young painters, who later also participated in the liberation of South Việt Nam.

Đông was awarded State Prizes for Literature and Art with three oil and canvas paintings - Ấp Bắc Battle, Bình Giã Battle, and La Ngà Battle - in 2007.

He held several exhibitions at home and abroad.

Đông died of old age in HCM City in 2015. He was 90.

The Hành Trình Huỳnh Phương Đông exhibition will be open until March 30 at 92A Phó Đức Chính Street in District 1. VNS

Two sketches depicting the Mậu Thân General Offensive in 1968.

A sketch of Thủy Điện Trị An (Trị An Hydroelectric Dam) in 1987.