...Nguyen Hong Quan...

Artist Nguyen Hong Quan was born in 1957 in Hanoi, though his ancestral hometown is in An Giang Province. He is the son of musician Phan Nhan (1930–2015) and Meritorious Artist Phi Dieu (now 93 years old). After regrouping to the North, she worked as an actress for the Southern Cai Luong Troupe and later as a broadcaster for the Voice of Vietnam during the resistance war against the United States. After the reunification of the country, she transferred to the Voice of Ho Chi Minh City People.

Growing up in an artistic family and showing an early talent for painting, Nguyen Hong Quan was sent to assist with stage decoration for the Southern Cai Luong Troupe. After national reunification, he returned to the South with his family and studied at the Intermediate School of Fine Arts (five-year program) at Ho Chi Minh City College of Fine Arts. Upon graduation, he was assigned as a painter and stage designer for the Dong Thap Provincial Performing Arts Troupe. Several years later, he returned to Ho Chi Minh City and successfully entered the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts (1995–2000), majoring in oil painting. Perhaps his years working as a stage designer for the Dong Thap troupe, traveling extensively throughout the Mekong Delta provinces and navigating the waterways of the Nine-Dragon River region, profoundly influenced his artistic style.

The year 2018 marked a significant turning point in his artistic journey. He gradually moved away from oil painting and independently explored and mastered watercolor painting — a medium that demands delicacy, patience, and meticulous brushwork, as watercolor does not allow for corrections and scraping in the same way as oil paint.

The rural river landscapes of the Mekong Delta became an irresistibly compelling subject to which he devoted himself wholeheartedly. In his paintings, the simple life of the countryside — villages, rice fields, rows of coconut palms, rivers, ferry docks, and fruit gardens — emerges through gentle yet vivid, refined, and deeply evocative tones.

According to the artist, painters must remain closely connected to real life in order to create meaningful works: “Reality of life — Through the artist — Into the artwork.” In addition, an artist must know how to select subjects wisely, possess strong drawing skills and compositional structure, maintain keen observation and sensitivity, and master both brushwork and color in order to produce works of both intellectual and artistic value.

Now at the age of 68, he has built an impressive body of work comprising hundreds of watercolor and oil paintings. He has held seven solo exhibitions, published two art books featuring his works, and many of his paintings are included in private collections both in Vietnam and abroad.

His paintings captivate viewers from the very first glance. Whether depicting rural villages, urban scenes, or seascapes and islands, his works consistently radiate a sense of simplicity and intimacy, evoking deep nostalgia and a profound love for his homeland. This is both the signature strength and the artistic hallmark of Nguyen Hong Quan.