On 5/12, an oil painting depicting a dragon fruit was shared across several community pages, garnering tens of thousands of likes. Viewers praised the artwork's high degree of realism, noting details from the fruit's skin to the plastic bag. The artist, Le Sam, 53, is originally from Binh Dinh (formerly), and currently lives and works in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa.

One of Le Sam's hyperrealistic paintings depicts a custard apple.

Hyperrealism in painting and sculpture is an art form that mimics subjects with an extremely high degree of realism, similar to a high-resolution photograph, but also incorporates complexity in subject matter, expression, and emotion. Works in this style also portray details not visible to the naked eye. The movement emerged in the early 1970s and flourished in the 2000s. Many hyperrealistic paintings fetch tens of millions of USD, such as those by artist Leng Jun (China).

Still life is a favorite subject for the artist. Le Sam states he began learning art in kindergarten, drawing on floors and walls with chalk and charcoal. During the summer after third grade, his father arranged for him to study with a teacher, beginning his professional training, from using sighting sticks and sketching to techniques for still life and outdoor scenes. As a child, he competed in a provincial drawing competition and won an encouragement prize.

Later, he painted illustrations for his teacher sister and other educators. After finishing 12th grade, he stopped painting and pursued shrimp farming, which was unsuccessful. In 1997, Le Sam moved to TP HCM and found work at an art gallery on Mac Dinh Chi Street, District 1 (formerly). There, he continued to learn techniques from his teacher, colleagues, and hundreds of world-renowned artists, experimenting with various styles.

The artist paints many flowers, especially lotus flowers. In 2020, he returned to Cam Ranh to open his own gallery and focus on creating art. Over time, his painting speed increased due to his experience in color mixing and brushwork.

A painting of bird-of-paradise flowers.

He also focuses on pet subjects. The artist states that the time to complete a work depends on its difficulty and subject, but he has never spent more than 150 hours on a single painting.

A school of Koi fish swimming playfully in a pond.

Le Sam says some viewers think his paintings use AI, so he occasionally posts videos documenting his creative process on his personal page.

Rural life scenes, such as a mother hen protecting her chicks, are also among his favorite subjects.

The artist has no plans for a solo exhibition. According to the artist, he prices his works reasonably compared to similar pieces, ensuring all his paintings sell out. "However, this style of painting cannot be done quickly," he says.

Farmers making a living in a lotus pond, depicted in an oil painting. Currently, he not only pursues hyperrealism but also cultivates other genres. "I choose to paint everything, from people and still lifes to landscapes, but primarily focusing on Vietnamese subjects," Le Sam says.

Mai Nhat

Photos: Provided by subject