From 1969 to 1972, he travelled to Vietnam and portrayed the war through images. He travelled to both North and South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail with the liberation forces, experiencing first-hand the brutal conditions of war and the courageous response of the Vietnamese people. 18 of his 36 paintings are being exhibited in Hanoi in an exhibition with the participation of 5 Vietnamese artists. This is the first time the work of the artist has been showcased in Vietnam
This painting is Women Ploughing, painted by late Cuban artist Rene Mederos. It was painted in 1969, portraying the women in northern Vietnam doing farm work during the war. It is one of many paintings composed while Mederos was visiting Vietnam to capture the situation in the country.
The images of President Ho Chi Minh, the soldiers as well as the children going to school are all colorfully portrayed in Mederos' paintings, which have been exhibited in many places around the world. It shows the solidarity between Cuban and Vietnamese people.
Mederos' work is exhibited together with contemporary responses by five Vietnamese artists, whose works are inspired by Mederos.
Despite being painted half a century ago, the paintings of Mederos are still as vivid as the day they were produced. They not only reminded us about the past but also inspire many Vietnamese artists as well as strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
