Born into a family with a tradition of lacquer painting in Hanoi, Cong Quoc Thang was fortunate to be exposed to art from a young age. From there, his passion grew, and this talented artist fell in love with and became attached to lacquer painting as an indispensable part of his life.
Lacquer paintings imbued with Vietnamese culture
Lacquer paintings are a unique combination of traditional materials such as lacquer, red powder, eggshells, mother-of-pearl, gold leaf, silver leaf... These materials are selected and combined by the artist in a sophisticated way to create a vivid, splendid beauty that only lacquer paintings have.
“To me, lacquer painting is not only an art form but also a journey of self-discovery and national culture. The materials used to create the painting not only bring depth but also inspire me endlessly every time I create,” said Cong Quoc Thang.
The process of creating a lacquer painting is a painstaking journey. Each work usually takes two to three months to complete, with many stages requiring meticulousness and patience. From attaching the eggshell to the frame, applying the first coat of paint, applying silver leaf, to the next layers of color, everything must be done precisely. After that, the work will go through a process of sanding with sandpaper and water and carefully polishing.
Painter Cong Quoc Thang said that the technique of silvering and painting is a big challenge. The paint layer must be allowed to dry to the right degree to ensure durability, shine and no swelling or blistering. This is the difference between traditional lacquer paintings and other types of paintings.
Each color in lacquer has its own meaning. The black from lacquer, the red from red powder, the white from eggshells and the yellow from gold leaf blend together to create a harmonious whole, imbued with Vietnamese tradition.
After months of hard work, lacquer paintings are very durable and easy to maintain. Just place the painting in a normal environment, when it gets dirty, you can use a soft cloth to gently wipe it and the painting will shine like new again.
Love of traditional Vietnamese culture
During 20 years of studying and pursuing his career, Cong Quoc Thang has achieved many proud achievements. His two outstanding solo exhibitions are "Across Space" (Ho Chi Minh City, 2019) and "Underground" (Hanoi, 2024).
In addition, he also participated in exhibitions with the participation of artists from Korea, Russia and many other countries. For him, this is an opportunity to learn, exchange and bring Vietnamese lacquer art closer to friends around the world.
His works are closely linked to the typical folk cultural values of Vietnam. Paintings such as Lion Dance, Dragon Dance or Water Puppetry not only record the beauty of traditional Vietnamese culture, but also bring the experience of enjoying the dynamic arts from a new and creative perspective.
Not only targeting domestic audiences, his paintings bearing the soul of Vietnamese folk culture are also loved by international friends. Works such as Lion Dance or Water Puppetry have been purchased and displayed by foreign collectors, contributing to spreading the beauty of Vietnamese culture to the world.
Painter Cong Quoc Thang is not only passionate about creating but also very dedicated to preserving lacquer art. He believes that lacquer painting is not only an art but also a cultural symbol, a bridge connecting the past and the present.
“Nowadays, I see many young people starting to learn about and love painting, especially lacquer. I hope that my works will be a connection between people and traditional culture,” said artist Thang.
Constantly creating, Cong Quoc Thang is nurturing personal exhibition projects. He also hopes to have more opportunities to participate in international exhibitions to introduce Vietnamese culture through his works.
