Painter Nguyen Thanh Chuong has said a painting he completed in 1970 is currently on display under the name of Ta Ty dated back to 1952 at an exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thanh Chuong said a painting he completed in 1970 is on display under the name of Ta Ty

Thanh Chuong was born in 1949 and attended the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. He has won many awards for his achievements. When he attended the Paintings Returned from Europe exhibition on July 14, Chuong said he was shocked to see one of his paintings on display.

According to Chuong, his name and the year of completion on the abstract painting had been erased somehow and replaced with Ta Ty’s name. Chuong and his wife reported their concerns to the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts.

There was an arranged meeting between Chuong and his wife, museum's manager and collector Vu Xuan Chung on July 15. However Chung didn't come.

Trinh Xuan Yen, museum's vice director, confirmed that the painting belonged to Thanh Chuong. Yen said he set up a committee to review the paintings including members of HCM City Fine Art Association and experts from HCM City University of Fine Arts and other researchers. The committee will hold first meeting on July 19. The exhibition won't be closed to gather public's opinion.

"This is our responsibility. We'll give public an explanation," Yen said.

The Paintings Returned from Europe exhibition opens from July 10 to 21 to introduce 17 paintings by Vietnamese artists Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai. In contrast to earlier report, there was one painting under the name Ta Ty on display.

Some people who went to the exhibition claimed that some of the paintings were fake. However, Vu Xuan Chung said Jean-Francois Hubert, senior consultant for Vietnamese art at the auction house Christie's Hong Kong, had confirmed that all 17 paintings were original.