Featuring 41 paintings, primarily in watercolour and oil, along with one oil on a typewriter, the show evokes significant milestones in Luu Cong Nhan’s expansive career: his early period with portraits and wartime sketches (1950s–1960s), his exposure to and influence from Western abstract (circa 1970–1972), his years living in Hoi An (1984–1985), and his focus on nude painting (1990s).

Additionally, serving as a poignant epilogue to the exhibition, modest watercolour works on scallop paper and Canson paper reflect the artist’s passion for his craft despite the declining health. These pieces were mainly painted during his recuperation time in Da Lat (from late 2000). For him, to paint is to live, and painting became a way to find solace during his final, bedridden days.

Words & Translation: Tâm Phạm