Bui Xuan Phai's paintings

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Bui Xuan Phai (1920 - 1988) is perhaps the most influential 20th century Vietnamese painter. Born in Hanoi he is best known for his paintings of old Hanoi.

He was born in a Confucian household but gravitated to the arts as a young man. He attended an art school that taught traditional Vietnamese art methods, but he was to become heavily influenced by western artists such as Matisse, Picasso and Chagall. It was to mark his lifelong belief in artistic freedom and expression.     

In 1945 he supported the August Revolution which was the beginning of the fight for Vietnam's independence and freedom from foreign interference. He supported that through what he viewed as the Japanese, French and American occupations. 

However, in the mid 1950s he became embroiled in the Nhân Văn–Giai Phẩm movement, which is a push for greater freedom of speech and respect for human rights. As a result, he was declared a reactionary, fired from his teaching job, and barred from publicly participating in art. 

I find his palette interesting. It is not quite what you would expect to see in a Western painting, I assume it is more of a SE Asian color scheme, although red isn't lathered all over the scenes. In his urban scenes of Hanoi, he'll outline the building with a thick line and color in the surfaces. Again, a technique you rarely see in Western art. 

Bui Xuan Phai