"Happiness" by Hao

This original gouache painting by one of Vietnam's most revered artists, Truong Dinh HAO, was auctioned off at Asia Night 2008. Born in 1937 and trained at the famous Ecole des Beaux Arts in Hanoi, Hao's work is on permanent display at Vietnam's National Fine Arts Museum. In this painting, known as "Happiness," Hao uses his classic bold strokes and playful manner to remind us the joy of returning to the basics: sustainable living in the countryside and the simple comfort derived by children throughout rural China and Southeast Asia who look to the beloved family water buffalo for warmth, sustenance and companionship.