'New life' for folk paintings

Once an indispensable source of spiritual nourishment for centuries, Vietnamese folk paintings, for various reasons, are now merely a distant memory for many contemporary people. Regretting the past glory, numerous projects to revive folk painting have been launched, aiming to bring "new life" to this ancient art form. Latoa Indochine is one such project.

"The Soul" of Heritage in Contemporary Art: Located amidst the lush greenery and riverside banks of the Red River in Tran Phu ward, Hoang Mai district, the Latoa Indochine painting workshop exudes a simple, rustic charm, a stark contrast to the opulent and luxurious lacquer-carved folk paintings created here. The quiet atmosphere enveloping the workspace reflects the artist's intense concentration on their creation, only occasionally interrupted by the gentle sound of water trickling against the woodblock or the steady rhythm of sandpaper scraping against the wood... Carefully observing the sandpaper's movement, artist Luong Minh Hoa meticulously explains: "Sanding is the most important step because in carved lacquer paintings, sanding is essentially painting. You need aesthetic sense and sensory perception to feel the correct pressure and the right amount of sanding. Sometimes, just one or two strokes too much can ruin the artwork. This also determines the uniqueness and individuality of each carved lacquer folk painting, because each creation is a unique beauty, based on the artist's technique, emotions, and color perception." Artist Luong Minh Hoa is a member of the Latoa Indochine project group, established in June 2022 by artists with decades of experience in lacquer painting, particularly those passionate about researching and studying folk art, such as Nguyen Van Phuc, Nguyen Manh Ha, Nguyen Trong Khang, and Pham Huy Tuan. Understanding and cherishing the essence of traditional painting styles, and regretting the loss of artistic values ​​imbued with generations of knowledge, they came together to ponder and find ways to disseminate these values ​​in contemporary life. From this, the folk lacquer carving art – a combination of lacquer and carving art – was born, contributing to the realization of that aspiration. Artist Luong Minh Hoa shared: “Dressing traditional essence in a contemporary style – it sounds great, but it's not easy to do. We spent many months struggling with experimenting to recreate folk paintings using new techniques, but we couldn't achieve the desired 'quality.' Only when we accidentally combined two complementary painting techniques did we perfect the technique of creating carved lacquer folk paintings as we know it today.” Specifically, Latoa Indochine's carved lacquer folk paintings incorporate many manual painting processes, such as: processing the wood core, "laying the base" for carving, creating colors, applying gold and silver leaf, inlaying mother-of-pearl and eggshells… then sanding and repainting until the sheen of the colors subsides, creating a profound depth in the painting. “Each artwork requires the artist to always maintain a ‘balance’ to ensure harmony between traditional elements and creativity. If it’s too meticulous and detailed, it will resemble a handcrafted art piece lacking artistic merit, but if the spirit is too free and unrestrained, it will lose the soul of folk painting,” artist Luong Minh Hoa explains. Using this method, artists from Latoa Indochine have created and brought “new life” to dozens of folk paintings from once-famous styles: Dong Ho, Kim Hoang, and Hang Trong, by reflecting the soul and spirit of folk painting in a contemporary work. The creative process allows for changes in color and form to create artistic effects, or even to draw inspiration from classic paintings to create new works.

The artists work at the Latoa Indochine painting studio (Hoang Mai district).

Illuminating the Quintessence of the Nation: Through its innovative painting methods, Latoa Indochine has illuminated the "national spirit" within the flow of contemporary art, immediately attracting the attention and affection of art lovers who are deeply committed to traditional cultural values. Since its first exhibition at the Hanoi Museum, Latoa Indochine has participated in numerous activities honoring and promoting folk art both domestically and internationally, such as the Hanoi Creative Design Festival - 2022; the Vietnamese Cultural Space in Korea, etc., offering viewers novel, unique, and exciting insights into traditional paintings. This has fostered awareness of preserving the cultural and historical beauty of the nation in general, and the artistic value of folk paintings in particular, laying the groundwork for folk paintings to become a distinctive cultural product of Hanoi. Artist and researcher Phan Ngoc Khue commented: “Not only does it encapsulate and subtly convey the essence of folk paintings, but the art of carved lacquer with layers of gold and silver leaf also creates contrasting and light-reflecting colors, making folk motifs more luxurious and fresh. The images in carved lacquer paintings are depicted sharply, with depth; upon close observation, one can see layers upon layers of magnificent and graceful colors, contributing to elevating the artistic value of the work. This is truly a meaningful project for preserving and promoting folk paintings, and it needs to be replicated and developed.” According to Professor, Doctor Truong Quoc Binh, a member of the National Cultural Heritage Council, carved lacquer folk paintings are a very commendable initiative, both promoting the value of traditional art forms like lacquer and carved lacquer, and showcasing the essence of folk paintings—something that would be impossible without a passion for this ancient heritage. “In the context of increasingly modern social life, the demand for collecting and using folk paintings is no longer as widespread as before. Therefore, encouraging the revival of folk paintings is crucial to rekindle and spread love and pride in traditional art,” Mr. Truong Quoc Binh stated. Understanding this, Latoa Indochine recently launched a workshop program to introduce and guide the creation of a lacquer-carved folk painting. This aims to provide a deeper understanding to the public, especially young people, of traditional lacquer and carved art, the history of folk painting styles, and the beauty of ancient painting. Simultaneously, participants will be guided through and experience some basic techniques of lacquer carving art to create their own artwork. According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Latoa Indochine, Pham Ngoc Long, this approach will make old works more accessible, and the beauty and charm of folk paintings will become more widely known. “Folk paintings are the culmination of generations of culture and art, reflecting the imprint of a golden age in the country's history. Latoa Indochine wishes to take the public ‘to the very heart of tradition,’ back to the days of ancient folk painting to admire, feel, and cherish, and then together, preserve, continue, and spread the essence and cultural identity of the nation on the path of strong development in the modern era. That is also a way to ensure that tradition is always present in life today,” Mr. Pham Ngoc Long expressed.

Vietnam.vn