A memorial service for the acclaimed French-Vietnamese painter Le Ba Dang was held at his namesake arts foundation in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on March 9, two days after his death in Paris.

Born in 1921 in Bich La Dong village, Trieu Phong district in the central province of Quang Tri, Dang immigrated to France in 1939 and joined its anti-fascism movement. After being released from Nazi Germany prison, he pursued his studies at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse.

He had his first one-man show in Paris in 1950 and gained prominence throughout Europe over the next thirty years with several international prestigious awards and medals, such as “Artist with great talent and humanity” award by the US’s International Institute of Saint Louis in 1989, “Arts and Cultural Medal” in 1994 by the French State, and “Honouring the Vietnam Nation” title in 2005.

In 1992, he was ranked as one of the most famous painters in the world by Cambridge University.

In 1968, he and many other renowned painters like Picasso, Matta and Pigion signed the petition for “A day of intellectuals for Vietnam” in Paris calling for the end of the Vietnam War.

According to promotion materials from the foundation, his works are “a lissom and fine combination of two Eastern-Western cultures of various materials, including oils-paint, water colours, silk, synthetic papers, sculptures, and metal, to reflect the high-value of art and full of vitality and philosophy on human beings and the universe.”

The foundation is currently showcasing 349 of his pieces and 45 valuable materials, said Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Phan Tien Dung.-VNA