Muranushi Luu, a Japanese-Vietnamese who lives in Hue city, has already received a prestigious award from Japan for his paintings, which have been included in a calendar.

Luu, whose father is a Japanese professor who teaches at a university in Tokyo, is currenlty participating in a national painting competition in Japan and a children’s painting competition in Asia.

He is also exhibiting his work at Hue’s Song Cam Hotel, which his mother owns. Recently a visitor in Ha Noi was so taken by Luu’s painting of a swallow in spring that he paid US$1,000 for it.

The fourth grader, who attends Ninh Vinh Primary School, has had two private exhibitions sponsored by the Viet Nam–Japan Friendship Organisation.

His mother, Nguyen Thi Cam, says the boy loved reading and observing animals when he was very young, and later began sketching his favourite animals. At eight years of age he started to paint on canvas imported from Japan.

Despite his talent, he says his dream is to become a scientist specialising in animals and the ocean.

VietNamNet/VNS