Artists get creative with traditional art form

A corner of Mạch Di Sản (Heritage Continuum) exhibition. Photo toquoc.vn

HÀ NỘI Artworks created in combination between Vietnamese traditional lacquer art painting and carving techniques are being displayed in a special exhibition in the capital.

The event, entitled Mạch Di Sản (Heritage Continuum), is organised by the Latoa Indochine artist group in collaboration with the Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board. It aims to introduce new creative works based on traditional Vietnamese folk painting.

It is part of a series of cultural events commemorating the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution, the 79th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam and the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital.

“Vietnamese folk painting has a very long history, and there was a time when it experienced strong development. This painting genre (lacquer painting) is not only the exclusive asset of the painting villages, but also the common heritage of the Vietnamese people,” said Phạm Tuấn Long, chairman of the Hoàn Kiếm District People’s Committee.

“Nowadays, many folk painting styles are gradually fading away due to the emergence of modern art, with only a few still being preserved and maintained in some craft villages and painting families. Latoa Indochine is one of the units that are persistently working to restore folk painting using the lacquer painting medium.

“The artists have created a ‘new life’ for dozens of folk paintings from the once-renowned genres such as Đông Hồ, Kim Hoàng and Hàng Trống. They have achieved this by reflecting the essence of traditional folk painting in their contemporary artworks. The creative process allows them to make changes in colours and forms to generate artistic effects, or even to take inspiration from classic painting models to produce entirely new works.

“Through the lacquer painting exhibition Heritage Continuum, we hope to promote the cultural heritage left by our ancestors and introduce in-depth traditional Vietnamese lacquer art. This will help awaken the awareness of preserving and maintaining the beautiful cultural and historical heritage of the nation in general, and the artistic value of various folk painting genres in particular. 

“At the same time, it will create a foundation to establish folk painting as a distinctive cultural product of Hà Nội in particular and Việt Nam in general,” the chairman noted.  

A visitor of Heritage Continuum. Photo toquoc.vn

Heritage Continuum at the Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre, located at 49 Trần Hưng Đạo, Hà Nội, displays 60 folk paintings from the Đông Hồ, Kim Hoàng and Hàng Trống genres, recreated through a combination of lacquer painting and carving techniques. They feature familiar themes such as Lợn Đàn (Herd of Pigs), Đánh Ghen (Jealousy), Ngũ Hổ (Five Tigers), and Đám Cưới Chuột (Mouse Wedding). 

“Each folk painting deeply reflects the material and spiritual life of people in ancient society. Through the creativity and great passion of the artists, the images in the lacquer paintings are meticulously and vividly portrayed, with depth and clarity. The artists will take the viewers back in time to see the flowing veins of heritage from tradition to modernity,” said chairman of Latoa Indochine Phạm Ngọc Long. 

In addition to the folk painting, the artists will also introduce other subjects such as lotus flowers, dances, landscapes, and figures using the lacquer painting medium, further expressing their love and passion for art.

Hands-on experience workshops on lacquer painting, carving and traditional folk painting techniques will also be held along. These activities aim to introduce the public to a deeper understanding of the traditional lacquer painting art of Vietnam and the various steps involved in creating a lacquer painting artwork.

Heritage Continuum will run until September 3. VNS