Pham Do Dong

Dong graduated from the Fine Art University of Hanoi in 1968. He stayed in the south from 1969 until 1975, mainly based in Tây Ninh Province, without returning to his home in Hanoi. he was relatively lucky with his ability to access good materials during his time in the South. He often had contacts in the SOuthern Liberation Army who would make trips to markets in liberated zones that sold a huge array of imported artist materials. Also, as he worked for the Central Committee Propaganda Department for the South, he was usually given funds to buy materials, which offset his meager earnings as a war artist.

After Vietnam was liberated in April 1975, Dong initially returned to North Vietnam and was assigned by his unit to work for the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in Hanoi. However, when the Vietnam Fine Arts Association established a branch in Saigon, Dong and his family moved to the southern city, preferring the liberal, straight-minded characteristics of southern people. he also took comfort in the fact that many of his artist friends moved to Saigon when the war ended. In his role working for the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, Dong prepared exhibitions, presented awards and organized art camps.

Dong took part in many overseas group exhibitions: in Toulouse, France, in 1975, and in 1992with artist Nao Minh Tri; in Germany, Bulgaria, Hundry, Iraq, Czechoslovakia, as well as many group exhibitions inside Vietnam. For his first solo exhibition in May 2003, he displayer sixty paintings at Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum.

However, his work as an artist remains his identity. Using a range of oil paints from Taiwan, France, England, and watercolors from Russia, France, Germany - even experimenting with graffiti products - Dong is best known for his abstract realism.