Uncle Ho at ease on the horseback.

Hua Tu Hoai, a Nung ethnic minority talented sculptor, is urgently finishing a series of statues of Uncle Ho that he named “Uncle Ho in Dinh Hoa Safe Haven” to celebrate Uncle Ho’s birthday.

The series consists of 12 statues divided into two collections, depicting Uncle Ho’s image in the revolutionary base.

The first collection themed “Uncle Ho Sits at Ease on Horseback” has 5 uninterrupted statues which depict Uncle Ho’s image on a mission trip. He says: “The image of Uncle Ho on horseback is the most beautiful. Poet To Huu successfully described it in his poetry, and now I will describe it by sculpture.”

The statues have different styles; each of them shows the profound philosophy and the author’s love for the old father of the nation. He hopes that when the works are finished, they will be displayed in Uncle Ho Memorial House in Phu Dinh, Dinh Hoa.

This is not the first time artist Tu Hoai created works on Uncle Ho. In 1990, he won a gold medal at the National Fine Arts Exhibition with the work ‘Uncle Ho Back to Village’

Tu Hoai is one of the three Vietnamese sculptors who received the State Award in the first stage. He has many works that won awards in national exhibitions and have been on display at domestic and international museums and memorial houses.

Most of his works realistically describe both the national glory and losses and are most outstanding in the theme of war. This is also the strong point in his creative skills and thought.

“The Nightmare” which was awarded the first prize by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in 1996 is one of his favourite works.

Not only with ‘The Nightmare’, but his other works themed on the war such as ‘Stronger Than Bombs’ and ‘Memory on the War’ won high prizes at national fine arts exhibitions. 

Hua Tu Hoai often said “Now at the age of 64, I still feel that everything seems to be at the beginning.” His modest saying shows a big responsibility of an artist like him. This is easy to understand. For any true artists, their career is still ahead and their best works are still in the future. 

Liberated Saigon newspaper