Hanoi (VNA) – A special exhibition showcasing masterpieces by three pioneers of modern Vietnamese art in France is taking place at the Cernuschi Museum in Paris.

The event features 150 works by Le Pho (1907–2001), Mai Trung Thu (1906–1980), and Vu Cao Dam (1908–2000) sourced from 25 different collections of various funds, museums, public and private organisations, as well as the artists’ families, close friends, and amateur collectors.

It offers an opportunity to trace their artistic journeys – from their studies at the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (Indochina School of Fine Arts) to their prolific careers in France, where they settled in 1937.

This event coincides with the centenary of the Indochina School of Fine Arts, a pivotal institution where Vietnamese and Western artistic traditions first converged. The profound exchanges between students and teachers at the school led to the emergence of a distinctive Indochinese style that shaped the future of modern Vietnamese art.

“Designed in close collaboration with the artists' families, who have opened their archives, the exhibition retraces the bold careers of three close friends who cherished both their homeland and France. Their artistic evolution is set against the backdrop of political transformations and the complex relationship between the two countries throughout the 20th century,” stated the Cernuschi Museum.

Vintage photographs, sketches from their formative years, and preparatory drawings are displayed alongside works on silk, oil paintings, lacquered screens, and sculptures in plaster and bronze. “The fusion of Western techniques with traditional Asian materials is a hallmark of their work, which has gained increasing recognition in the art market over the past three decades,” the museum noted.

♍ The exhibition catalogue is designed as a series of reference works to highlight the main stages in the life and career of each artist. The colonial context, the process of national liberation of Vietnam, the consecutive wars from 1939 - 1975 help viewers better understand the development in style and themes of the three artists.