Representatives cut the ribbon to inaugurate the mural

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, painter Nguyen Thu Thuy, who masterminded the ceramic mural project, shared that she was very proud and touched when artist Gonzalez was invited to design this part of the mural, by Ambassador of Chile to Viet Nam Claudio De Negri.

Painter Thuy’s ceramic road project was completed in 2010 to celebrate the millennium anniversary of the establishment of Ha Noi as the capital of Viet Nam.

The art work, which is 10 metres long and 2.3 metres high, features the friendship between Viet Nam and Chile and the painter Alejandro Gonzalez's vision of the beautiful and progressive life that communist countries are striving to attain.

The colourful mural painting is located on the river dyke near the junction of Au Co and Xuan Dieu street.

Mono Gonzalez was born in 1947 in the city of Curico in Chile. He worked as an artistic director at the Municipal Theatre of Santiago, designing the stage for famous plays, including Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet.

He is well known for his large-sized mural paintings, which have beautified public spaces and buildings in Chile and several other countries, including Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and Cuba, as well as Canada, France, Italy and the Netherlands, along with Portugal, Ukraine, China and now Viet Nam.

Concerned with societal issues and the country’s destiny, through his works, which are full of colour and humanity, the artist often conveys his aspirations with regards to human relations, people and society.

In Chile, he is the author of the art work titled Art and the city: Life and work, which was installed in 2004 at the Parque Bustamante metro in Santiago City. Featuring the history of the social movements of Chile, this is the longest mural painting in the country - 233 metrea long and 3 metres high.

Over the course of ten days in Ha Noi, Mono Gonzalez will meet artists and students at the Viet Nam University of Fine Arts.