"I liked the painting featuring children playing basketball the most," said Nguyen Thu Huong, a reporter from An Ninh Thu Do (Capital Security) newspaper, at the opening ceremony on Thursday.

"It's interesting to know what the children wore and how they played together in the 1960s. It is half a century ago."

The painting, by artist Le Thiep, bears the slogan Chung Em Cung Yeu The Thao The Duc (We Also Love Physical Exercise). It is one of about 70 artworks from the Dogma Collection of collector Dominic Scriven.

Many of the works have rarely been seen since the roaming exhibitions of the 1960's and 1970's, which were presented in the north as well as the south.

"These were often staged under forest canopies or in hamlet clearings at considerable risk to the viewers and artists alike," Scriven explained.

When he was in Ha Noi in the 1990s, "neon was rare and advertising a fringe activity." These painted posters were the "colour overhanging the streets of ochre villas".

The posters at the exhibition bear slogans such as Move to Deserted Regions Turn Forest and Mountains into Rice Fields; You Fight The Enemy I Will Take Care of Home; The Southern Female Guerrillas Are Truly Full of Guts. These reflect the revolutionary spirit of the period, as well as determination to unite the nation and promote national construction.

"The exhibition is unique, providing a truthful look at the past which I experienced," said veteran composer Doan Nho.

"We are moved to have a chance to see the posters that help the young generation understand about difficult times of the country."

The exhibition also includes enlargements of early and extremely rare art proofs of Vietnamese stamps, as well as a video featuring interviews with poster artists subtitled in English.

Co-organised by Mekong Artist Company and the Viet Nam Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition will run until January 19 at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. 

VNS/VNN