A group of dynamic contemporary artists have helped breathe new life into Vietnam's unique lacquer art form. Phi Oanh Oanh (1979) is one of the Vietnamese artists who has mastered the art of 'transforming' traditional painting techniques, turning vast spaces into breathtaking lacquer masterpieces.

The lacquer work entitled 'Mappa Mundi' by Phi Oanh Oanh. Photo courtesy of the artist

Recently, Vietnamese lacquer lovers were able to admire a unique and large lacquer painting ever seen in Hanoi. The painting, called "Mappa Mundi", measuring 244cm x 244cm, was hung on the ceiling, creating an impressive and unique experience for viewers. It is a painting made of lacquer and pigments on a wooden panel and is characterized by the various dichotomies and inversions between East and West, the archaic and the high-tech, the comic and the earthly.

The large-scale depiction of a satellite image of the Earth is suspended from the ceiling to evoke a sense of wonder and illusion similar to that of classic European murals. Under the soft glow of spotlights shining from the floor, the deep colors of the lacquer painting, as well as the ever-changing shades within the lacquer, command the viewer's attention and then provide a heightened visual experience. Standing beneath the artwork, viewers feel extremely small in the vast, vibrant, and imaginative world of the universe.

"Sotto in Su, or 'from below looking up', is a type of European mural painting that uses various optical effects to create openings in walls through architectural illusion," Oanh explains. "The ceiling fresco is meant to be viewed 'from below looking up', similar to how we look up at the night sky to see the cosmos, but what we see is a reflection looking down from space. Only recently, through satellite imagery, have we acquired this kind of supervision, a remote representation of a seemingly accurate view of the ground below. In this painting, I take a static satellite image of this corner of the planet to create 'Mappa Mundi' with a local medium.

Phi Oanh Oanh's "Specula" is a 7.2 metre long and 2.4 metre wide tunnel covered in lacquer murals, into which the viewer can enter.

Le Thua Tien's lacquer paintings, on the other hand, evoke a different feeling in the viewer, one that is difficult to predict: curiosity and skepticism at first glance. However, by spending some time in front of each of the 240cm x 115cm paintings, entitled 'Reflection 1', 'Reflection 2', and 'Reflection 3', viewers can really 'feel' them.

Lights illuminate each painting, reflecting the image of the person standing in front of it. The shades are sometimes hazy like smoke or in a round and beautiful shape, sometimes distorted and scarred, with another image inserted. Viewers may feel as if they are facing themselves when they stand in front of the painting; sometimes good, sometimes bad, with feelings of joy, sadness, or fear that can't be hidden in their faces.

Born and based in Hue, Vietnam's former imperial capital, where war and time have left their ruthless mark, Le Thua Tien (1964) makes works layered with abstract simulacra of his own and the city's memories.

Ranging from paintings and sculptures to installations that make extensive use of traditional lacquer and experiments that incorporate other objects and materials, the stately and somber works simultaneously invite self-reflection and provide a window into the collective psyche. A versatile artist who does not dwell on the past, Tien is also involved in other community-based art projects that address contemporary issues.

The "Reflection 2" by Le Thua Tien.

Another artist, Vu Duc Trung (1981), gives the viewer an extremely peaceful feeling with his lacquer works called "Forest Melody", "Winter Morning", "Autumn Dream" or "Blue Wild Grass".

Trung uses landscapes in his abstract lacquer paintings, layering delicate shades to create a shimmering surface. Lacquer helps him to find or create another imaginary reality for himself, to create certain dreams. "It may never be, but I feel peaceful," he said.

Raquelle Azran, an American painting collector, said of Trung's paintings, "In these perfectly crafted and extremely exquisite paintings, forests, trees, and grass shimmer in the sun and disappear in the darkness. There we find the paths we long to walk, deep in the image and deep in the dimensions of the past and the future. There we can discover light and clouds. This color, silently relieved, was the symphony of light, and in the end, it succeeded in presenting nature in its most beautiful form".

Born in 1981, Trung is one of many young artists who have chosen to work with traditional lacquer materials. He graduated from the Lacquer Department at the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts in 2003 and went on to complete a Fine Arts degree at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts in 2007. 

"Forest Melody" by Vu Duc Trung.

Each of the artists mentioned above has a different background and different expressions in their personal works, and of course bring different impressions to the public, but most importantly they have a magical way of transforming the same material - Vietnamese lacquer - into their own pieces. This is the clearest proof of the longevity and originality of this traditional Vietnamese painting medium.

Lacquer a lifetime medium

"Mysterious and delicate, lacquer resin - a natural resin extracted from the 'son' tree found only in northern Vietnam - is a unique medium compared to other types of painting materials," says Oanh, explaining why she has been working with the material since 2004.

"I am interested in further exploring this process of acculturation by combining 'son mai' with new materials and formats to expand the scope of the medium as an image, reflect on cross-cultural histories, and situate the medium within broader art discourses," she added.

An ancient varnish, Vietnamese lacquer was reinvented as a painting medium in the 20th century. This also represents a whole history of painting becoming lacquer. In Vietnamese, lacquer painting is translated as 'son mai.'

Vietnamese-American artist Phi Oanh Oanh.

Son is translated as a noun, a material used to 'paint', and mai as a verb to smooth or polish. The lacquer is applied to a prepared board and, after drying, is sanded smooth. Perhaps the process could be defined as 'taking off', whereas oil or acrylic painting is 'putting on'.

Lacquerwork has a long history in Vietnam. Based on archaeological findings, the materials used for painting were available in Vietnam about 2,500 years ago. Traditional painting is limited to black, red, brown, and red-brown colors and gold and silver patterns. Artists were called professors of "son thiep vang" or painted wood covered with gold.

In Vietnam, lacquer was historically used to preserve wooden statues in pagodas, and then, as techniques progressed, was used by artisans to decorate them. A natural progression was to apply the process to carved wooden furniture.

The best lacquer is extracted from trees that grow around the northern province of Phu Tho. It is collected before daylight as a glue-like substance and when it is brought by artists and craftspeople it is black and deep crimson.

"Blue Wild Grass by Vu Duc Trung.

In 1925, a French lecturer at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Hanoi encouraged a group of students to explore and experiment with lacquer as a medium in fine art, and it slowly became a recognized genre. From this time, the term "lacquer" and "lacquer painting" was officially born in Vietnamese contemporary painting.

Among the first Vietnamese lacquer painters were Pham Hau (1903-1994) and Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-1993). They were the leading artists during the heyday of lacquer painting (from 1938 to 1944), with typical works such as "Villagers" (1934) and "Midland Landscape of the North" (1940-1945).

Old medium, modern techniques

Lacquerwork is painted on wood or glued plywood, covered with 14 to 20 layers of pure lacquer (apart from the third layer, which is cheap cloth). Each layer is dried and sanded to a velvety finish before the next is applied. In Hanoi's Duyen Thai village, this arduous task is done for the artists, most of whom buy prepared panels, lacquer, pigments, and other supplies on Hang Hom Street in the capital's Old Quarter.

Because of the limited range of colors in traditional lacquer, artists use other media. Gold leaf is an expensive option and silver, and now steel, the powder is sprinkled on wet colors to lighten them and define outlines.

A portrait of the artist Vu Duc Trung. Photo courtesy of the artist

Perhaps the most stunning effect is achieved by using eggshells. Eggshells are sorted according to the desired color, from subtle brown to duck egg blue and soft white, and gently crushed. Varnish is applied to a section of the painting and then the eggshells are carefully placed on top. When dry, it is sanded and polished flat and smooth.

Many contemporary lacquer painters prefer not to use eggshell, which is a long, tedious process, and instead use Japanese pigments to add dots of color. Relatively new to the scene, Japanese pigments dry quickly in dry conditions. They come in just about every color imaginable, but when artists use them, they must be applied before the varnish. The most exciting, but also most frightening, aspect of using traditional lacquer is that the artist can't control the shades of earthy colors that appear after drying. Perhaps this is why so many lacquers in shops and galleries are painted in the more controllable Japanese medium.

Mappa Mundi installed in Sous la Lune, an exhibition co-produced by the Palais de Tokyo (Paris) and the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, at ICAS. Photo: Truphotos.com

Painter Vu Duc Trung is one who prefers Japanese pigments to add points of color. His lacquer paintings require careful planning so that the flecks and highlights provided by the Japanese pigment are not overwhelmed by successive applications and sanding. After years of training in purely traditional techniques, he has been experimenting with other pigments for the past 15 years.

Trung's use of traditional lacquer materials is definitely working. His paintings have won the hearts of viewers and have been bought by many collectors, both internationally and locally.

"The Vietnamese art scene has been dynamic over the past two decades," said Quynh Pham, director of Galerie Quynh in Ho Chi Minh City. "This is good news for the viability of the art ecosystem, as in addition to overseas buyers, more and more local collectors are now interested in getting involved in the local art scene and collecting the works of Vietnamese artists."

The appeal of Vietnamese artists to foreign collectors, says Quynh Pham, is the fact that they find something in the work that resonates. People are less interested in clichéd images of Vietnam. Now they want art that's not only aesthetically pleasing but also has a story to tell. "Talented and dynamic Vietnamese artists have been doing this for the past few decades," she says.

The outstanding lacquer work of “Specula” by Phi Oanh Oanh