The family of late artist Ta Ty whose name was wrongly attributed to a painting artist Thanh Chuong claims to have made, displayed at a recent exhibition said that they would ‘sue’ people responsible for the wrongdoing.

The artist's daughter, Ta Thuy Chau, said on August 2 that they would ‘file a lawsuit’ at HCM City People's Court against those who had falsely used her father's name and signature and incorrectly attributed the painting to the artist which was on show at the recent Paintings Returned from Europe exhibition which was recently held at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

"Right after hearing that my father's name was associated with a painting by artist Thanh Chuong at the exhibition, we had come to see and work with Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts about the mistake.

"We still keep many works by my father and we know his style," Chau said. "That painting collected and introduced by Vu Xuan Chung seems unusual: the colours, the lay-out and especially the signature is not by my father.” 

Chau said that her father also had a painting named Abstract which was completed in 1951. But the painting introduced at the exhibition by Chung had an added signature of Ta Ty and the year 1952.  

"And the most important thing is that they are two completely different paintings," Chau confirmed. "I've contacted other members of my family to ask if my father had another painting named Abstract and we’re sure that I’ve got the only one."

"We'll sue those involved in the verification of that painting and ask the owner to remove the name Ta Ty from it with the witness of leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts and researchers. And we'll ask for a public apology from them."  

Lawyer Nguyen Huu Duc claimed in such a case the signature forgers had violated copyright infringement and trading counterfeit goods.

Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Exhibition, Photography and Fine Arts, said that he totally supported the family of artist Ta Ty and also wanted to bring this case to court.

Earlier, artist Thanh Chuong had also sent a letter to the Department of Exhibition, Photography and Fine Arts, and the Ministry of Public Security complaining that his painting was misattributed at the Paintings Returned from Europe exhibition.

"I’m sure that I’m the true and the only painter of that piece, not Ta Ty," Chuong wrote in his letter. "The name of this painting was Portrait of Miss Kim Anh not Abstract.

Luong Xuan Doan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, confirmed that they have received the letter from artist Thanh Chuong.

"We'll work again with Thanh Chuong and send our letter to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Public Security,” Doan said.

Chuong said counterfeited or misattributed paintings were increasingly common.

"I should be tough this time,” Chuong said. "Not only for one of my paintings, but for the development of the Vietnamese art.'

Dtinews