In the early 1980s in Vietnam, there were artists who sought to escape from conventional forms of expression for an individual way to convey their private thoughts. After much difficulty, they discovered a more sensitive way to express the human longing within the societal context of that time.

Artist Truong Dinh Hao (1937 – 2022) was one of those who chose to combine folklore elements with Symbolism to develop and express his personal artistic philosophy. Truong Dinh Hao graduated from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts in 1978. However, it wasn’t until 1992 that his works began to attract the attention of art lovers abroad and a small number of domestic collectors through exhibitions organized by Lotus Gallery.

Hao's artistic style is characterized by a disregard for strict lines and intricate details, favoring instead brush strokes influenced by Naive art and his deep personal feelings toward the subject matter.

In his early years, facing extreme poverty, Hào used wall paint mixed with adhesive to create contrasting patches of color that sometimes blended together. This crude material did not prevent his inner voice from expressing the anguish of solitary existences, hopes, and despair. With just a few strokes, his self-portraits are able to convey feelings of bewilderment, shock, indifference, and utmost pride. Some paintings from the 1990s feature a canvas made of coarse linen nailed to a wooden chassis with clavos. While time has faded these works’ colors, the marks of a destitute period still remain vivid.

The more than 50 artworks displayed this time represent a dialogue of Truong Dinh Hao himself, a world seemingly divided into two opposing parts within his own mind.

A space in his consciousness, lives his own sense of self-worth. Here, he exists in the most primal essence of humanity, free to expose himself to naïve, reckless, arrogant, and even wild emotions without fear of judgment by societal norms. Within here, the existence of human identity can either be simplified to the point of foolishness or filled with a mocking gaze, behind which lies the bitterness of a drifting life. Such serene solitude!

The other part is the society’s reflections of that time.Through his lens, there are simple joys and the distinctive features of cultural beliefs that connect people to each other. Occasionally, through these familiar images, he humorously satirizes the struggles of daily life that may seem trivial, yet evoke the conflict between reality and ideals, between the invisible constraints and the ever-present longing for freedom that flows within him.