The Artist

1928–2020 Ninh Binh Vietnam

Tran Luu Hau’s history is a rich mixture of influence from his early days of training in the Viet Bac Fine Arts School 1949–54 in northern Vietnam and then 6 years in the Soviet Union at the Surikov Institute of Fine Arts, where he was exposed to the great masters of the East as well as European. From the French master Matisse to abstract expressionist DeKooning you can see influences but Hau has forged his own unique style with a dynamic free flowing stroke and bursts of vibrant color.

Despite the appearance, Tran Luu Hau’s works do not project a happy atmosphere but rather an inherent restlessness awaiting eruption. Lurking behind the exciting atmosphere of his landscape paintings is a sense of loneliness. In his favorite themes of landscape, still life and portrait you can find his rapid brushwork made without delay or hesitation. Confident and bold, they reveal a restlessness and desire that knows no limits. The brilliant palette and strong brushwork can be viewed as a mixture of calligraphy and Asian ink painting.

The Nude 1993

The painting is filled with action and vitality that is signature Hau, with a sense of lingering melancholy.
“From that I know of world art, I feel that I am nothing but a small dot in an immense sea. Art is something marvelous and mystic. Often you would get hold of it, but eventually you don’t. An unending search and hunting. A tough struggle to affirm oneself and then to negate oneself. As regards myself, there is another simple reason: whenever I sit in front of my easel I feel joy, serenity, hope, and I forget all the hardships and mishaps of everyday life”. – Tran Luu Hau