Family Love is a typical painting by Dang Xuan Hoa in many respects. It exemplifies his abstract personal expression as he includes his family and his cat as the subject matter. The harmony of colors and serenity of the piece give the viewer an intimate connection.
Dang Xuan Hoa is a world-wide respected contemporary Vietnamese artist. He is one of the “Gang of Five” who are known to have changed the direction of art in the early 1990’s in Vietnam which coincided with the destruction of the subsidized economy. This is known as Doi Moi or “The Renovation”, which began the free market economy. As Phan Can Thuong explains in his book on Dang Xuan Hoa, “This event emancipated the spirit of painting casting off simplistic art to a common expression –abstractionist orientation combined with traditional humanistic ideas. Hoa’s paintings are a process of spiritual development in which love and respect of life serve as a way to better understand himself”.Dang Xuan Hoa expresses emotions through figures and shapes as his compositions appear to be perfect in themselves. His harmony of colors has instant appeal with subtle aesthetics. Common subjects include his wife, daughter and granddaughter and depict a harmonious and loving familial atmosphere. The canvas conveys a multi-dimensional style that is obvious in both “Immediate Love” and “Family Love” which are two in a series of five which exemplify Hoa’s deep intimate connections with his family. His work is in demand all over the world and has been auctioned and exhibited across the globe from New York to Hong Kong to London. One of his most recent pieces, “Life”, painted in 2008, was auctioned and sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for over $85,000.