Large 2004 Oil Painting on Canvas, “Woman Playing Guitar”, Pham Luc, Vintage Artwork

Striking figurative work by significant Vietnamese modernist artist Phạm Lực, often referred to as “The Picasso of Vietnam”. Signed and dated 2004, this particularly distinctive example is painted directly onto an unusual repurposed haysack canvas, whose natural texture remains visible throughout the composition and forms an integral part of the work.

The scene depicts two stylised figures, dominated by the seated female musician in vivid blue holding a traditional stringed instrument. The figures are compressed into a shallow pictorial space against an intense red, black and blue ground, creating the immediate, expressionistic quality for which Lực is particularly recognised. Heavy black contour lines, simplified forms and deliberately flattened perspective give the composition considerable visual strength.

Presented in a substantial white frame with a wide white mount, allowing the distinctive textured surface of the artwork to remain the focus.

Frame dimensions: 100cm x 86cm
Artwork dimensions: 60cm x 48cm

Artist biography: Phạm Lực (born 1943 in Huế, Vietnam) is an important Vietnamese modern and contemporary painter whose career is closely intertwined with the country’s wartime and post-war history. He has earned an international following, with his work attracting prominent collectors and visitors including former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who visited the artist’s Hanoi studio. He is also supported by a dedicated international collector base whose members have assembled substantial holdings of his work.

His subjects frequently encompass war, family, motherhood, music, everyday Vietnamese life and the emotional consequences of conflict. His paintings are characterised by bold drawing, simplified forms, expressive colour and an inventive use of unconventional painting surfaces and materials. Examples of his work are held by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum as well as numerous private collections internationally.