Coming from Tho Ha village, Do Son is a self-taught artist, who had served as an army painter. He is known for his colourful palette and lyrical style. An accomplished artist, Do Son won a prize at the National Fine Art Exhibition in 1980.‘Heart of Mother’ revolves around the theme of sacrifice in war. The protagonist is the old mother, paying her respects to a wall of black and white portraits, presumably her family members who had sacrificed their lives for the country. This heavy sense of loss and fatality is however softened by Do Son’s signature use of pastel colours and the presence of the young child who serves as a symbol of hope that the legacies of those who had fallen will live on.
