Son Mai (lacquer paintings)

Tran Thieu Nam

 

Tran Thieu Nam was born in Hanoi in 1965 where he continues to live and work today.   A graduate of the Hanoi University of Arts, Nam is one of the most respected contemporary 

artists in Vietnam.

 

The genre that Nam works in is known as Sơn Mài.  Sơn Mài is a genre of fine art painting unique to Vietnam in which lacquer as opposed to oil or other paint pigment is applied to a wooden base.  Lacquer has been used in decorative art in Vietnam & other parts of South East & East Asia for over 2,000 years.  However, the use of lacquer as a medium of fine art painting was developed during the early 20th century at the L’ Ecole des Beaux Art de l'Indochine established 

in 1924.

 

The school was founded by Victor Tardieu who had studied in Paris under Gustave Moreau with Henri Matisse and George Rouault.  Introducing Vietnamese artists to western techniques and contemporary European art movements, the school encouraged experimentation with indigenous materials like silk, do paper and laquer inviting master craftsmen to teach students the processes and techniques integral to their crafts.

 

The collaboration began an artistic tradition drawing on both western influence and a specifically Vietnamese cultural heritage.  Tran Thieu Nam continues to develop and produce beautiful work in the Sơn Mài genre.