Vietnamese Paintings: Styles, Famous Artists, and Where to Buy Them

Just like Vietnamese long-lasting history and culture, Vietnamese Fine Arts has pulled through many ups and downs, along with the construction and defense of the nation. Therefore, art retains the oldest time-honored history of development. Along with other modern arts, modern Vietnamese paintings has also made great strides from the beginning of the 20th century with the influence of Western art under the French colonial period. Although heavily influenced by the West, Vietnam’s modern artistic trend is still associated with the country’s history.

Vietnamese Fine Arts involve three basic types including sculpture, painting, and architecture. Each of them owns some famous and invaluable masterpieces. In sculpture, we have Dong Son bronze drums, patterns. About architecture, we have Hanoi One Pillar Pagoda – influenced by the Buddhist under Ly Dynasty. In painting, we witness the strong development in not only the brushstrokes of artists but also classes of pictures over decades. Let’s take a deeper look at this top-notch art of Vietnam!

Vietnamese Modern Fine Arts

History of Development

Through historical upheaval

Compared with other Asian countries and according to some art commentators, Vietnam is the earliest country to join the flow of modern art both in form and content. This can be easily seen when Indochina Fine Arts School was born in the early 1930s in the presence of French professors.

In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the first generation of Vietnam to enter the international art market was modern artists and was famous both in Vietnam and abroad.

The resistance wars against the colonialists and American imperialists accidentally divided Vietnamese modern fine arts into many different styles, each with its beauty. This difference was most evident in the fine artworks of the North and the South during the period of divide between two regions. On the one hand, fierce battles and fighting spirit of the people have been reflected. On the other, realism-criticism, romanticism, and escapism with the dream of peace permeated the compositions of southern artists.

Standing Screen (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Gia Tri

Past and present

Before 1975, the Northern contemporary art developed in the direction of social reality, with the establishment of the Resistance School of Fine Arts in the early days of the 1940s revolution. It was depicted in the paintings of resistance painters. These works in the eyes of art collectors reflected the nostalgia for Vietnam’s heroic era.

During the 1960s and 1970s, members of the Young Painter Association including Nguyen Trung, Lam Triet, Nghi Cao Uyen, Ho Huu Thu, Nguyen Lam, Nguyen Phuoc, Do Quang Em, Trinh Cung, etc., brought a fresh cool breeze of creativity, creating a reputation in Vietnam and the world.

Besides, young artists of surrealism, semi-abstract and abstract art under the guidance of Nguyen Trung and Ca Le Thang blew a new imaginative atmosphere, helping to accelerate the process of integration of Vietnamese contemporary art into the world.

Vietnam Fine Arts in the domestic and international market

The period of 1988 – 1990 can be considered as a milestone when in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, the art market was born.

Also in the 1990s, many Vietnamese artists were asked by various collectors, galleries and the World Cultural Association to display their works at international exhibitions in the US, France, Denmark, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Their artistic skills are highly appreciated by the international art community. From then on the translation market emerged, with an increasing number of international collectors coming to Vietnam to buy Vietnamese paintings on the spot and inviting individual artists or groups of artists to take part in exhibitions abroad.

Importance of Fine Arts in Vietnamese culture and life

It is said that life pushes people down but the art raises people up. This sentence is true and has been proved since the Stone Age, as far as people started creating art under the simplest shapes to entertain and tell stories such as leaf trumpet, parietal art (stone painting, cave painting), fire dancing, etc. Art has been playing an indispensable part in Vietnamese people’s life.

Fine Arts connects past, present and future; it also expresses and describes in sharp every side and corner of life’s biography and reality. Without art, we might not have a chance to witness the incredible evolution of humans and the universe over centuries and eras.

Types of Vietnamese Paintings

Sketch Painting (Tranh Ky Hoa)

Sketching is drawing and taking notes in the artist’s way and prism in front of different depicting objects. Sketch has many different purposes. There are sketches to document page layout, sketches to decorate documents, direct drawings into sketch paintings, sketches to remember.

How to make a sketch painting?

There are many different ways or methods of sketching. For example: Sketch with a pencil on paper, ink sketch, liquid, pastels, pastels, colored pencils, iron pens, markers, etc.

There are two ways of sketching:

1. Quick sketch: to draw moving objects such as people, animals, birds. Or when the artist has very little time, he must take advantage of a few minutes to catch up like some landscape drawings to remember, a fleeting living landscape, and the appearance of the animals.

2. Deep sketch: to draw relatively static objects, architectural landscapes, decorative motifs, architecture, tools, clothes, etc. These paintings often reflect the good aesthetic emotions of the artists.

On the other hand, the sketch is a method to train the ability to transform the objective image of nature into a mark of artistic evidence, from which to transform into a composition, easel or decoration. That is why the photograph cannot replace the sketch.

Uncle Ho in Viet Bac by Phan Ke An

Lacquer Painting (Tranh Son Mai)

Lacquer is one of the painting materials in Vietnam. It is the exploration and technical development of the traditional Vietnamese paint industry (lacquer craft) into the lacquer. However, the word used to call lacquer is often understood to use Japanese and Chinese art paint products. Grinding technique is a big difference between foreign handicrafts and Vietnamese lacquer paintings.

Lacquer painting uses traditional paint materials such as lacquer paint, cockroach paint as a binder, and lacquer, silver, gold and pearl shells, etc. drawing on black stature background. The painting can be painted and sharpened many times until the effect the artist wants. The last is polishing pictures.

Lacquer has “paradoxical” points: if the paint layer is dry, the painting must be kept in an air-tight and high humidity cabinet; If you want to see the picture again, you have to abrade to see the picture.

How to make lacquer painting?

Lacquer can be divided into several main stages: bundles cuttings, decoration, grinding and polishing.

1. Stem pack: Using alluvial soil – workers can now use paint and stone powder – pound it with paper and cuttings and fill in the cracks in the wood. Each layer of paint is lined with paper or curtain. After that, fish gills must be chiseled to install and attach the paint to the horizontal wooden splint behind the boards (wooden planks) to prevent cracks along with the fabric. Then let the wood dry completely cuttings are painted front and back. This stage is to protect the panels from being waterproof, termite-free, and not dependent on the environment for shrinkage. Handling the board more thoroughly, extending the life of the objects to be painted, each lacquer work has a life of 400-500 years.

2. Decoration: When obtaining the aforementioned piece or the carvings of vases, or other clothes, the makers of the items must apply the stages of attaching and sticking the coloring materials to the work first such as shell eggs, nacre, gold, silver … then paint and then grinding flat, then use color.

3. Grinding and polishing: Because the varnish has mixed colors to paint, the gloss submerged in the color core creates the depth of the painting, so after each drawing must be sharpened. The ancients used dried banana leaves as scratch paper.

Uncle Ho in Viet Bac resistance base (Lacquer painting) by Duong Bich Lien

Ceremony admitting a new member to the Communist Party at Dien Bien Phu (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Sang

Oil Painting (Tranh Son Dau)

Since ancient times, when people began to draw, they have deliberately sought good materials to paint and hope to invent fresh beautiful and sustainable colors. During that time, people had known how to use colors mixed with oil to paint; but the material is still very primitive, still has many drawbacks and limitations. Over time, many generations of painters have worked hard to explore the materials, tinkering with their paints.

Oil painting came to Vietnam in 1925 when the French opened the Indochina Fine Arts School. So far, oil paint is still the dominant material of Vietnamese painting. You can easily find an oil painting at any gallery near you on your trip to Vietnam.

How to make oil painting?

1. Choosing paint: The most basic set of oil paints should include the following colors: cadmium yellow, ochre gold, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, titanium white, and mars black. You can combine these colors to create any color in the color circle (for example, yellow and red create orange).

2. Preparing other materials:

• Choose a few basic paintbrushes made of good material.
• Oil paint mixing knife, paint palette, canvas stretched and some towels and jars for cleaning brushes.
• White spirits or turpentine to fill the first layer; flaxseed or poppy seed oil to dilute the color for the following layers.

3. Arranging painting area: Use a wide and cool area, open the doors or windows. Place the easel or table away from the noise and direct sunlight if possible. Spread a cloth lining to prevent paint from flowing down and damaging the floor.

4. Some oil painting tips:

• Brush heads from synthetic fibers are usually soft and natural ones are harder.
• Apply the ‘Thick on thin’ rule (color layer on a liquid layer) so that the color layers do not crack or split.
• White color is used up very quickly, so you should buy a large white tube and small or medium tube for the remaining colors.
• Tint with a large amount and retain after each painting so you use the same paint color.

Little Thuy (Oil on canvas) by Tran Van Can; one of national treasures

Two Girls and A Boy (Oil on canvas) by To Ngoc Van; one of national treasures

Sandpainting (Tranh Cat)

Sandpainting is known as the art of using colored sand, crystals, minerals or other pigments of natural origin and also from synthetic materials, pouring or spreading on the surface of matter to create pictures. paintings live according to the wishes of their makers. In Vietnamese paintings, art sand painting is divided into two basic types: static sand paintings (traditional) and dynamic sand paintings (modern).

In Vietnam, although no specific records are showing who was the first to experience this art, perhaps Mrs. Y Lan was the one who brought this art to the development and popularity.

Like other arts, sand painting has changed over time, constantly developing. One of the most successful variations is the modern sand painting, which combines painting with light and music, known as dynamic sand paintings.

There are 4 main topics of sand painting:

1. Sandpaintings of landscapes: This type often depicts natural beauty in all parts of the world.

2. Human tableau in work: This genre mainly depicts the appearance of a person who is hard at work and devoted to life.

3. Sand picture portrait: This is about love. Paintings of fatherly love, paintings of motherly love, as gifts of gratitude to the man who was born, etc.

4. Calligraphy: This is an intersection between the two art subjects. It requires artisans to pay attention to each pen stroke because in calligraphy strokes pen is also the soul of the writer.

How to make sandpainting?

1. Preparing

• Natural colored sand (can be obtained at Phan Thiet or the central coast of Southern Vietnam).
• Some colors of sand not found in nature can be mixed or dyed with a special color.
• A small surface rail to screen the sand evenly, fine, clean, without impurities.
• A small teaspoon.
• A sharp-pointed stick.
• Glass or glass frame is transparent, with no pattern.

2. Drawing

• Choose samples of sand on-demand or ready to fit the frame according to size (quite important).
• Sketch a pattern on a glass or glass frame to create basic proportions and lines (a small, erasable tip brush should be used).
• A handle holding the glass slightly inclined about 30 degrees, or in the glass frame should be on a rotating surface, a spoon holding a small spoon of sand to bring the glass close to the mouth of the glass and gently pour the sand slowly into the glass in layers.
• Use the stick to gently push the sand back and forth to create the desired line and color. Just pouring, just mixing the sand to harmonize.
• So the sand layer is tightly packed together and kept fixed in the glass/frame without using adhesive.
• Once the sand has formed, use a spoon to compress slightly in the center of the glass/frame so that the layers of sand stick together.
• Add 1 layer of sand to the center of the glass/frame to keep the sand tight, preventing the outer layer from moving.
• Keep pouring the remaining sand layers in the same manner until full of glass/frame.

Countryside (Sandpainting)

Silk Painting (Tranh Lua)

When it comes to silk, perhaps the first thing people think of is the slender Ao Dai of Vietnamese women. In the development history of visual arts, silk paintings are often mentioned in some countries in the East with mulberry cultivation, such as China, Japan, and Vietnam. With airy properties, many empty cells, tough but soft and smooth fibers, silk has good absorbency, hard to fade and acceptable to apply on it but still feels soft, clear and deep.

The beauty of the material in silk is different from the materials in lacquer, oil paint, so in the field of painting, only silk painting is named by the characteristics of the material used as the background of the painting, not by drawing materials. up on that background. It can be said that silk is one of the unique and unique painting materials.

Vietnamese artists often use silk because it has a smooth, small, rough type of fibers. Each type of silk will bring a different effect when drawing due to the thin thickness of the silk. Together, they create magical and beautiful Vietnamese paintings.

How to make silk painting?

1. Stretching the silk over the frame so evenly that the silk can be dry or moist.

2. Immersing silk into rice flour water mixed with a bit of alum so that when painted, the color does not stick.

3. Drawing: the objects can be shaped with a fine pencil through the tracing paper or put a pen straight on silk

4. Being patient: the artist needs to draw each layer after layer so that the color can be absorbed thoroughly into each silk fiber.

5. Pinning the picture on non-machined paper.

Sun at Summer (Silk painting) by Le Van De

Dong Ho Painting (Tranh Dong Ho)

Dong Ho painting was born in Bac Ninh, home of Vietnam Traditional Folk Music. This is a unique line of the folklore paintings that requires the finesse of Vietnamese hands. This is one of the most well-known type of Vietnamese paintings.

Dong Ho paintings belong to the line of woodblock prints created, produced and developed by Dong Ho villagers. This is a line of paintings that closely and vividly displays the traditional Vietnamese agricultural society, the working life of ordinary farmers, the simplicity, customs, customs, and activities of Vietnamese people.

How to make Dong Ho painting?

1. Creating art form sample: This is the work of a craftsman. The artisans of these people are usually educated gurus, knowledgeable in culture, history, society, talented in observation, with aesthetic taste, etc. Therefore, Dong Ho paintings have very rich content.

2. Cutting planks: Make a flat wooden board. Rosewood, squid wood are usually made of sharp boards (sharp, durable), yellow heartwood makes planks (bigger array, not need to be “sharp”, but yellow heartwood is softer, easier to engrave). Then sweep the paste-up, paste the sheet face-down, sweep it once again with a “thet” (a kind of pine brush) without glue, the entire picture pattern has appeared on the back of the picture. After cutting, when printing a picture, it will look like a sample sheet.

3. Engraving shapes: The engraving on this board is usually large, deep and vertical.

4. Coloring: Print out a stroke, use a brush to color each piece – usually each sheet has three to four colors and the contour is black, then take the thin sheet of paper on top of it, and paint over each of those colors one copy, and then do the same with the pattern board – get the color boards. For these boards to print together, they have two dots on each left, close to the edge of the woods – called “cu” (frame).

Collecting Coconuts – Dong Ho Folk Painting

Sow and piglets – Dong Ho Folk Painting

Calligraphy Painting (Tranh Thu Phap)

Calligraphy painting is the art of expressing people’s minds through written language. The Greek word Calli is Kalli, derived from Kallos meaning beauty; while Graphy from Greek root is Graphein means writing.

Calligraphy has become an art used to express the emotional feelings of people, containing the values ​​of national traditions that educate people about ethics and human life in life, etc.

Therefore, calligraphy painting has become an indispensable part of Vietnamese people’s life and one of the most popular Vietnamese paintings. The most special are Tet holiday or other traditional cultural festivals. Nowadays, wherever we go in Vietnam, we can easily come across calligraphic works. There are signs, titles on the packaging of some types of products, on the covers of books, in temples, in cafes, …

Vietnamese calligraphy painting forms

1. Calligraphy on paper: The tureen is a couplet written on Fine Art paper, with a 2-sided plastic splint used for decoration in offices, living rooms, etc. These paintings bring the messages to teach children to live in life, to praise, to congratulate friends, etc.

2. Calligraphy on leaves: This is a new kind of art. It brings the traditional handwriting closer to nature and makes the leaves more alive.

3. Calligraphy painting the word “Phuc” (Blessing): “Phuc” means advantageous and consensus. The concept of the word “Phuc” of the nation, of each family, of each of Vietnamese people, is forever a good symbol of Vietnamese cultural life.

4. Nature painting: This is the most suitable for decoration and aesthetics.

5. Wealth painting: This is for bringing luck to the career and business.

Calligraphy Painting

Rice Painting (Tranh Gao)

Rice painting is an art form. It has its unique and simple creation made from small natural grains of rice. Rice painting combines with the talented hands of artisans who create beautiful rice paintings as portraits, architecture, landscape, etc. They play a role of bearing the image of the country, the people of Vietnam with cultural Vietnamese paintings.

Among Vietnamese paintings, rice painting is simple but very soulful. Therefore, hanging rice paintings everywhere is beautiful. These paintings also enhance the coziness of the interior space. Therefore, many foreign tourists visiting Vietnam have chosen to buy rice paintings as gifts.

Read more: 17 Best Vietnam Souvenirs Ideas for Kids and Adults

How to make rice painting?

1. Roasting rice: Put on low heat, stir well. Each color will take about 30 minutes to 2 hours. The most basic colors that we can get: white, milk, yellow, brown, black.

2. Sketch drawing: Prepare a wooden plank with a thickness of about 3-5mm. A huge jar of milk glue and tweezers are to pick up the rice.

3. Arranging rice into a picture: Pour the milk glue following the main shape of the rice painting. Then, set up the rice into that available form.

4. Sticking everything by glue and handling termites: Use 502 the super glue. Paint a layer of varnish onto the painting and spray the termiticide.

5. Exposing paintings under the sun and framing when dry.

A mouse’s wedding – Rice painting

Quilling Painting (Tranh Giay Cuon)

Quilling is the art of rolling paper or twisting paper. Under the talented hands of humans, colorful pieces of paper are cut into small pieces, rolled up skillfully. Then, they get mosaiced on the background of the paper surface, furniture or gift … to form complete Vietnamese paintings.

In Vietnam, the art of scroll painting has first appeared in many large cities. Especially, it appears the work of not only skilled artisans but also training for handicapped villages. The products are both delicate and soulful imbuing with Vietnamese national culture.

Quilling art

Vietnam’s 15 Most Famous Artists (from left to right) – Row 1: Bui Xuan Phai, Le Quoc Loc, Nguyen Khang ; Row 2: Nguyen Sang, Nguyen Trong Hop, Nguyen Tu Nghiem ; Row 3: Phan Ke An, To Ngoc Van, Tran Dinh Tho

15 Vietnamese Most Famous Artists

The Quartet “Nghiem, Lien, Sang, Phai”

These 4 famous artists are the brightest stars in the second half of the 20th century. Compared to the remaining art quartets, in the country, Nghiem – Lien – Sang – Phai may be more famous because they are closely associated with the ups and downs of fine arts in the second half of the 20th century. This is the period in which criticism, about the market, about brand positioning, etc. took place stronger than ever. The names of this quartet all have street names and contributed 4 works to the national treasures as well as most famous Vietnamese paintings of all time.

1. Artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016)

Education: The Indochina Fine Arts College of Painting, XV course

Genre: Vietnamese Folklore

Prizes: Ho Chi Minh Prize, Official prize of the International Art Exhibition, National Fine Arts Exhibition Awards, etc.

Famous works: Nguoi gac Van Mieu, Cong lang Mong Phu, Danh co duoi bong tre, Tram gac, Con nghe, Giong, Muoi hai con giap, etc.

Ancient Dance (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Tu Nghiem

Giong (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Tu Nghiem

Spring in the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Tu Nghiem

2. Artist Duong Bich Lien (1924-1988)

Education: The Indochina Fine Arts College of Painting, XVIII course

Genre: Portrait

Prizes: Ho Chi Minh Prize

Famous works: Di hoc dem, Ngay mua, Chieu vang, Di vang, Hai em be ben bo song, Bac Ho o chien khu Viet Bac (1980), Hao, Di cay sau lu, etc.

Border in the Afternoon (Lacquer painting) by Duong Bich Lien

Moat by Duong Bich Lien

Miss Mai (Lacquer painting) by Duong Bich Lien

3. Artist Nguyen Sang (1923-1988)

Education: The Indochina Fine Arts College of Painting

Painting field: Oil paint and lacquer

Awards: Independence Medal, Third Class, Medal for the career of Vietnamese Literature and Arts, Medal for Vietnamese Fine Arts career, Ho Chi Minh Prize.

Famous works: Vat, Vietnamese Stamps, Ket nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu, Chan dung ba Don Thu, Thanh nien Thanh Dong

The Enemy Burned My Village (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Sang

4. Artist Bui Xuan Phai (1920-1988)

This artist was also known as The Artist of Streets, one of the most famous artists of Vietnam in all time.

Education: The Indochina Fine Arts College of Painting

Awards: Ho Chi Minh Prize, National Fine Arts Exhibition Awards, Leipzig Graphic Award, etc.

Famous works: Pho co Ha Noi, Ha Noi khang chien, Xe bo trong pho co, Pho vang, Vo chong cheo, San khau cheo, etc.

Da River (Oil painting) by Bui Xuan Phai

O Quang Chuong (Oil on canvas) by Bui Xuan Phai

Hang Mam Street (Oil painting) by Bui Xuan Phai

Resistance in Hanoi (Oil painting) by Bui Xuan Phai

Other Vietnamese Famous Artists

5. Artist Pham Van Don (1918-2000)

Education: The Indochina Fine Arts College of Painting, XIII course

Awards: First-Class Labor Medal, First-class War of Resistance War against America, Official Award of the Intergrafik International Graphic Exhibition, etc.

Famous works: Buc tranh Bac Ho, Vua Quang Trung giai phong Thang Long, Du kich Canh Duong, etc.

King Quang Trung Liberated Thang Long (Woodcarving) by Pham Van Don

Uncle Ho by Pham Van Don

6. Artist Phan Ke An (1923-2018)

Awards: First prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition, National Awards for Literature and Art, Third-class Independence Medal.

Famous works: Ho Chu tich o Viet Bac, Nho mot chieu Tay Bac, etc.

Miss An Afternoon in Tay Bac by Phan Ke An

7. Artist Nguyen Khang (1911-1989)

Nguyen Khang brought traditional lacquer painting into Vietnamese painting art. This makes him become one of the most famous artists in Vietnam.

Prize: Ho Chi Minh Prize

Famous works: Di cho, Goi dau duoi trang, Ve dep Muong, Phong canh mien nui, Ong nghe vinh quy, Bat da dem trang, Hoa binh va huu nghi, Hanh quan qua suoi, etc.

Friendship Peace (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Khang

Marching Across The Steam (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Khang

8. Artist To Ngoc Van (1906-1954)

Pseudonym: To Tu, Ai My

Awards: Honorary title of the 1931 Paris Colonial Exhibition, Honor at the Exhibition of the French Painters Association – Salon Paris in 1932, First Prize in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1954, etc.

Famous works: Thieu nu ben hoa sen, Thieu nu ben hoa hue, Hai thieu nu va em be, Thieu phu ngoi ben tranh tam da, Buoi trua, Ben hoa, etc.

Hanoi Rises (Woodcarving) by To Ngoc Van

Lady with Lily by To Ngoc Van

9. Artist Tran Van Can (1910-1994)

Tran Van Can is a famous artist and one of the top four artists of modern art in Vietnam: Nhat Tri, nhi Van, tam Lan, tu Can. He also edited the sketch pattern of Vietnam National Emblem into the complete form as it is today.

Famous works: Em Thuy, Nu dan quan vung bien, Chan dung bac tho lo, Thieu nu ao trang, Goi dau, Xuong dong, Tat nuoc dong chiem, etc.

Woman Washing Hair by Tran Van Can

10. Artist Nguyen Do Cung (1912-1977)

Nguyen Do Cung was called: “A sharp steel nose, a pine tree soaring tops in the storm of artistic creation”.

Awards: Ho Chi Minh Prize, First-class Labor Medal, Third-class Resistance Medal, etc.

Famous works: Du kich La Hay tap ban, Lam kip luu dan, Bai ca Nam tien, Khai hoi, Hoc hoi lan nhau, Cong nhan co khi, Cong thanh Hue, etc.

After work, ladies please come to the meeting to test the skilled workers by Nguyen Do Cung

Learn from each other – Oil painting by Nguyen Do Cung

Guerrilla La Hai learning how to shoot by Nguyen Do Cung

11. Artist Nguyen Duc Nung (1914-1983)

Artistic style: He composed on many materials but typically lacquer paintings with traditional techniques. His lacquer works were main topics of revolution, resistance, and production.

Famous works: Quay to det vai, Binh minh tren nong trang, Nguyen Du di san, Mua mua tren cong truong, Ket nap Dang trong tu, etc.

Nguyen Du goes hunting (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Duc Nung

Dawn at the farm (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Duc Nung

Spinning (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Duc Nung

12. Artist Nguyen Trong Hop (1918-1999)

This man is called “Master of Black & White Paintings”.

Awards: Second-class Labor Medal, First-Class War of Resistance War against America, Medal for Vietnamese Fine Arts career, Medal for the cause of Vietnamese Literature and Art, etc.

Famous works: Lop hoc mien nui, Va luot ben bo bien, etc.

Class on mountain (Woodcarving) by Nguyen Trong Hop

Mending nets at the beach (Woodcarving) by Nguyen Trong Hop

13. Artist Le Quoc Loc (1918-1987)

The artist blended traditional and modern features into lacquer paintings.

Awards: Second Prize in Painting Exhibition in 1951; National Art Exhibition Awards: First Prize in 1960, Second Prize in 1955, 1958 and 1962; etc.

Famous works: Qua ban cu, Giu lay hoa binh, Hoi chua, etc.

Passing old village (Lacquer painting) by Le Quoc Loc

Keep the peace (Lacquer painting) by Le Quoc Loc

14. Artist Nguyen Van Ty (1917 – 1992)

Nguyen Van Ty was the First General Secretary of Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

Awards: Gold medal at SEDEAI exhibition 1937, Medal for the career of Vietnam Fine Arts, For the cause of Vietnamese Literature and Arts, Ho Chi Minh Prize, etc.

Famous works: Hai Co Muong, Nha tranh goc mit, Du kich Bac Son, Thieu nu va bien, Nam Bac mot nha, Dem Noel Ha Noi, etc.

North South one home (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Van Ty

Cottage under jackfruit’s root (Lacquer painting) by Nguyen Van Ty

15. Artist Tran Dinh Tho (1919-2010)

The State Prize Council for Literature and Arts commented: Artist Tran Dinh Tho has served professionally since the early days of the August Revolution, who contributed to the cause of fine arts training. His lacquer paintings belong to traditional style, reflecting his production activities, fights, and landscapes. Many of his Vietnamese paintings have achieved high artistic quality. He is one of the most famous artists in Vietnam.

Awards: State Prize for Literature and Art in 2001, First-class Resistance War Medal, 60-year-old Party Badge, Cultural Soldier Medal (Ministry of Culture and Information), etc.

Marching at night (Lacquer painting) by Tran Dinh Tho

The Bamboo by Tran Dinh Tho

Where to Admire or Buy Vietnamese Paintings?

In Hanoi

1. Apricot Gallery

Address: 40B, Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

2. Hanoi Doclab

Address: 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

3. CUC Gallery

Address: Room A4703, 47th Floor, Keangnam Hanoi Tower A, Duong Dinh Nghe Street, Tu Liem District, Hanoi

4. Nguyen Art Gallery

Address: 31A Van Mieu, Dong Da District, Hanoi

5. Green Palm Gallery

Address:

• Art Supply Store: 15 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Paintings Store: 39 Hang Gai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

In Ho Chi Minh City

6. Galerie Quynh

Address: 2nd Floor, 151/3 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCMC

7. Sàn Art

Address: 48/7 Me Linh, Binh Thanh District, HCMC

8. The Factory Contemporary Art Center (FCAC)

Address: 15 Nguyen U Di Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC

9. Dia Projects

Address: 103 Dong Khoi Street, 2nd Floor, District 1, HCMC

10. HEPE Studio

Address: Thao Dien Pearl, 12 Quoc Huong, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC, Vietnam

Recent Exhibition: 56 Artworks on the Vietnamese Army

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum introduced to the public 56 paintings, graphics, sculptures of soldiers’ themes through the exhibition “From the People”. This is an event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22nd, 1944 – December 22nd, 2019) and the 30th anniversary of the National People’s National Defense Day (December 22nd, 1989 – December 22nd, 2019).

Borderlands security – Silk painting by Phan Ke An

Head to islands – Lacquer painting by Nguyen Van Ty

Memories of the lights by Le Anh Van, Former Principal of Vietnam Fine Arts University

Our people made us who we are – Lacquer painting by Quang Tho

Ship preservation – Oil painting by Colonel, Artist Bang Lam

Mr. Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, said that the artists were present on the fronts to depict the life of the war, creating a period of Vietnamese art. “The exhibition is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the history of the Vietnamese People’s Army,” he said.

Tips for Buying Vietnamese Paintings

Online paintings auction

This will help customers those access many Vietnamese paintings that are suitable to the tastes and aesthetics of each person on their trip to Vietnam. This method of purchasing is no longer strange but is becoming increasingly popular and convenient, shortening the geographical distance between artists and buyers.

However, the drawback of online auctions is that collectors cannot see the real Vietnamese paintings, only through photos. Therefore, buyers should consider carefully before deciding on purchasing paintings online.

Some tips for buying paintings online:

• Do your research. Surf on some websites to select the most well-qualified works. Browse every single one of reputable painters to know their backgrounds, the auction party’s rules, etc.
• Choose the works that express yourself the most. That’s LAFS (love at first sight) and the decision making based on it is always right.
• Ask for a direct video call to see the painting for real.

Buying Vietnamese paintings at galleries, exhibitions or stores

• Choose well-known galleries, stores or exhibitions.
• Figure out what your tastes are.
• Are you buying what you love or what you think is great? If that’s what you love, congratulations on getting a great painting! If that’s just because you think the painting is amazing – you only need to make sure that it is a good fit for your house or room decoration, atmosphere, etc. That’s the next tip:
• Find your focal point at home.
• Set a budget – how much you can afford.

Plan Your Vietnam Trip with Paradise Travel

Paradise Travel is a licensed international tour operator and destination management company. We are headquartered in Hanoi. The company has operated tours across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand since the early 2000s. It proudly holds the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for 2018, 2019, and 2024.

Beyond admiring these paintings on a page, seeing the real brushwork at a Hanoi gallery is a different experience entirely. Our Hanoi city tours can include a stop at the Hang Trong and Hang Gai gallery street, or a visit to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, alongside the city’s other historical sites. Let our local guides build an art-focused itinerary around your schedule! Get in touch with our team today!

Address: 81 Alley 12 Dao Tan Street, Giang Vo Ward, Hanoi, Vietnam

Hotline: 0989391076

Email: sales@vietnamparadisetravel.com