Painter Phan Ke An's unpublished works to be displayed

The artist Phan Ke An's unpublished paintings of various genres and materials, will be introduced to the public for the first time, at an exhibition called "Phan Ke An - Kho Tang An Giau", at the French Cultural Institute in Hanoi.

Poster of the event
Poster of the event

Taking place from March 11 to April 16, the exhibition introduces a series of artistic heritages of the late artist Phan Ke An, including multi-material paintings, works of study and research from Repin Academy of Fine Arts of Russia and sketches of artists and celebrities from the second half of the 20th century.

Specifically, there are three lacquer paintings, one oil painting, one silk painting and a series of unique sketches by the artist. All of them have been carefully preserved by the family for many years to this day. These paintings, which are likened to "hidden treasures", will reveal many surprises about the journey of creation and artistic life between 1945-1960.

The exhibition, curated by painter Vu Do, in addition to introducing works of both artistic and historical value, also has a number of parallel events, such as a discussion on the works of painter Phan Ke An.

Painter Phan Ke An (1923-2018) was a student at the Fine Arts College of Indochina (or Ecole des Beaux-Art de l'Indochine) (1944-1945). He was one of the first members of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

He is also known under the pen name Phan Kich, and is considered a multi-talented painter, one of the great progenitors of 20th century Vietnamese painting.

For his contributions to Vietnamese art, painter Phan Ke An was awarded the National Awards for Literature and Arts (2001).