Đào Trọng Lý's watercolour on paper features President Hồ Chí Minh pulling nets with fishermen in Sầm Sơn beach, Thanh Hóa Province on January 17, 1960. — VNS Photos Nguyễn Bình

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum (VNFAM) has opened an exhibition displaying President Hồ Chí Minh paintings by overseas Vietnamese artist Đào Trọng Lý.

The exhibition entitled The Sentiment of An Overseas Vietnamese Artist towards Uncle Hồ is held by VNFAM in collaboration with the Vietnamese Association in Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand. It celebrates the 134th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh’s birthday which falls on May 19.

Some fifty paintings illustrate Uncle Hồ’s revolutionary career, from the early days as he left to find a path to save the country, through every step and milestone of his special history.

"We see from these artworks the image of an outstanding leader with his simple life, compassionate love and care for people from all walks of life," said Nguyễn Anh Minh, the VNFAM's director at the opening ceremony.

Đào Trọng Lý created this painting of the late former Thai Prime Minister Pridi and President Hồ Chí Minh in Hà Nội in 1960.

All the paintings were drawn by Lý, a collection started in 2018, when he started managing the Memorial Site of President Hồ Chí Minh in Nakhon Phanom Province.

With his heartfelt love and profound gratitude towards Uncle Hồ and based on the photos and documents he found, Lý created the artworks hoping to provide Vietnamese people in Thailand, as well as Thai people themselves, with a better understanding of President Hồ Chí Minh’s life and career.

During his revolutionary career, President Hồ Chí Minh used to live in Thailand and was active there between July 1928 until November 1929, devoting himself to teaching Vietnamese expats of his patriotism and revolutionary ideals.

“I hope that the exhibition visitors will have a good impression of Uncle Hồ. It is a chance for me to express my respect to him, " Lý said.

Lý was born in 1951 in Nakhon Phanom. He used to be chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Nakhon Phanom Province and is currently one of the heads of the Vietnamese Association's Consultation Section in Thailand.

Lý will present all the paintings to the museum after the exhibition.

The exhibition opens daily at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. — VNS