Artist Pham Tang (Fan Zeng), 87 years old, is becoming the center of discussion when his daughter accused her father of "going wherever he was taken away by her new wife" along with a series of rare works that have also evaporated without a trace.
According to Pham Tieu Hue (Fan Xiaohui), daughter of artist Pham Tang, rumors about her father being "forced to leave home" have been circulating on social media since the beginning of August. In a post on August 16, she wrote: "As a daughter, I am extremely grateful for everyone's concern but also very worried about my father's health and safety."
Last year, artist Pham Tang suddenly announced his marriage to Tu Mong (Xu Meng), 37 years old, a television MC in the state media system. His marriage to a wife nearly half a century younger has caused a lot of controversy. He had been married several times before that, but his ex-wife had been deceased for many years.
Pham Tieu Hue said that the last time she met her father was in early July, then went abroad. When she returned to Beijing, she was shocked to discover the house sealed and empty. The old maid revealed that not only did her father and grandmother disappear, but the entire collection of paintings, antiques, and works of art accumulated throughout her life were no longer there.
According to Hurun Art List, in the past decade alone, Pham Tang's works have earned more than 2.3 billion yuan (about 315 million USD) at auctions, putting him among the most valuable contemporary artists in China.
Born in 1938, in Giang To province, artist Pham Tang is not only famous domestically but has also exhibited works many times in Japan, England, France, Italy... He was awarded the Bac Dau Bo Tinh Medal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010 for his contribution to China-France cultural exchange.
In the post, the artist's daughter said that her father once said she needed to stay at the hospital to take care of Tu Mong when she was "sick". However, on July 13, Tu Mong is said to have taken him away with all his personal belongings, and since then his phone has been turned off continuously.
Notably, employees who have long served Pham Tang for more than 10 years have all been laid off with large compensation. When he left home, only the domestic staff were recruited by Tu Mong to follow him.
The incident immediately topped the search on Chinese social media. Some people questioned why the artist's daughter did not report to the police but only announced it online. China Newsweek magazine said on August 17 that Beijing police have not received any reports from the family.
Pham Tang's art company is still operating normally, but the sales staff affirmed that they "do not have information about his achievements or the authenticity of the accusations".
Currently, the Chinese public is still waiting for a clear answer: Where is Pham Tang really, and what has happened to the hundreds of millions of USD worth of artistic assets?
