The artwork that showcases the beauty of Vietnam’s world natural heritage is called "Ha Long Bay's early morning".

It is among 40 works displayed at a solo exhibition of the painter in the framework of the Vietnam Days in the United Kingdom 2022.

The exhibition, Thế Giới Lớn Trong Mắt Trẻ Thơ (Big World, Little Eyes) also marks Chu’s ten-year art journey. It was attended by overseas Vietnamese, art collectors, members of the business community, representatives of embassies of different countries in the UK and two prestigious auction houses – Sotheby’s and Christie's.

“Chu is a young talented painter who has had his works exhibited in several countries and is highly appreciated by art critics,” said Nguyen Hoang Long, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK.

“Most of his recent artwork features beautiful landscapes of Vietnam so we have chosen Chu’s painting that depicts the majestic beauty of Ha Long Bay as a gift to Prince Charles.”

Deputy private secretary to Prince Charles, Chris Fitzgerald, sent his thank to Vietnamese Embassy on behalf of the Prince for the gift, affirming that the relation between the two nations has constantly grown since the meeting between Prince Charles and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) on November 2021.

According to the 15-years-old painter, his solo exhibition in the UK aims to introduce Vietnam's cultural heritage and beauty to the world.

They include highlighted paintings created in Chu’s 10-year art journey and those within his latest collection on Mu Cang Chai terraced fields in the northern province of Yen Bai.

“I feel honoured to be selected by Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long to have a solo exhibition in London to introduce my 10 years of painting,” Chu said.

“I had a chance to introduce my recent series of paintings of terraced fields, the landscape with both majestic and poetic beauty in Vietnam that I am very proud of.”

Chu’s painting, Buổi Sáng Tinh Mơ Hạ Long Bay (Ha Long Bay's Early Morning), was auctioned for 25,000 pounds (US$33,000) by the artist and Vietnamese Embassy to the UK to contribute to the Child Protection Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

The Vietnam Days in the UK 2022 has been ongoing since March 28 and will last on April 10, featuring a series of cultural, art, sport and trade-investment promotion events, mostly in London. The event is organised by the Embassy of Vietnam in the UK, in collaboration with organisations and enterprises of both countries for HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Xeo Chu, whose real name is Pho Van An, has been creating art since he was just four years old. He had his first solo exhibition, Big World, Little Eyes, hosted by the prestigious Georges Bergès Gallery in New York in 2019.

According to Reuters, the Vietnamese “art prodigy” has been compared as a “young Jackson Pollock”, a famous American painter who is renowned for his abstract paintings in the 1940s-1950s.

He has been granted the children’s award Dế Mèn (The Cricket) by the Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sport & Culture) newspaper for his painting series about nature and life.

The young Vietnamese painter introduced his 20 paintings of Mu Cang Chai terraced fields to visitors of EXPO Dubai during Vietnam National Day on December 30, 2021.

Besides gifts for art, Chu also has a kind heart. His first NFT (non-fungible token) painting, entitled Hoa Mai May Mắn (Lucky Ochna) was successfully auctioned on the Binance NFT exchange with the converted price of nearly $23,000, all of which have been used by the artist to present scholarships and to buy computers for disadvantaged students in Vietnam.

Chu also held a virtual exhibition, Pandemic Paintings, in July 2021, to raise funds for the community. In November 2020, he used all proceeds from the sale of paintings in the exhibition Flower 2020 – Big World, Little Eyes to support disadvantaged students of seven schools in the central province of Quang Tri. 

Source: Vietnam News