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Vietnamese Arts |
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Compare to other Asian countries, it is not so long since Vietnamese art in general as well as contemporary Vietnamese art in particular, emerged from unrecognized one to the world's art picture. It is safe to say that what has enabled Vietnamese art to survive through an aggregate thousand-odd years of foreign domination is its way to digest foreign influences and incorporate their quintessence into her own culture. In these days, when speaking about an identity crisis in Asian art; Vietnamese art has become a center of attraction. Vietnamese art has a long and rich history, the earliest examples dated back at the Stone Age, around 8,000 BCE. With the millennium of Chinese domination starting from the 2nd century BC, Vietnamese art undoubtedly absorbed many Chinese influences, which would continue even following independence from China in the 10th century AD. However, it has always retained many distinctively Vietnamese characteristics.
Throughout the ages… Pottery made from clay has been found in Bac Son, Vietnam at the Stone Age (approximately 8,000 BCE). Moving into the Neolithic era, however, Vietnamese pottery and ceramics started to develop rapidly, showing signs of decor. The highly developed Dong Son culture that flourished in North Vietnam (from about 1,000 BC to the 4th century BC) was the civilization responsible for the world-famous Dong Son drums - the product of their advanced bronze-casting skills. They were elaborately decorated with geometric patterns and most importantly depicted scenes of everyday life such as farming, warriors donning feather headdresses, construction of ships, musicians, etc. During the ten centuries of being ruled by the Chinese, Vietnamese began to apply newly learned Chinese techniques to art and specifically ceramics, however, this was in conjunction with the continued production of art based on native methods. From the Ngo to Tran Dynasty, the ceramics were thought to have been largely influenced by both ancient native styles and the Tang and later Song dynasty's art, including the "three colors" concept. Furthermore, Chinese - influenced philosophies adopted by the Vietnamese such as Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism, had a lasting impression on Vietnamese art. The Ly dynasty in the 11th century is viewed specifically as the golden age of Vietnamese art. The Ly dynasty began the construction of many of Vietnam's landmark structures, including the Temple of Literature, One-pillar pagoda, and Quynh Lam pagoda. The fourth Chinese domination of Vietnam was quite short-lived, lasting only about 2 decades, yet, it was also seen as the harshest domination. A majority of classical Vietnamese books was burnt, thus, much documentation is lost. Consequently, much of the art in this period was heavily influenced by the Ming dynasty's art. The Nguyen dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of Vietnam, has a renewed interest in ceramics and porcelain art. Yet, despite the high development of the performing arts such as imperial court music and dance, some other fields of arts as beginning to decline during the latter part of the Nguyen dynasty. Beginning in the 19th century, French artistic influences significantly Vietnamese art. By the early 20th century, many French art institutions such as the Fine Arts College of Indochine were erected in Vietnam which taught European methods.
An original art of Vietnam
According to scholars specializing in portraying art, lacquer plays the first role in traditional materials in Vietnam's painting background. Opening to the world, Vietnam's lacquer paintings have got special attention because of its distinct nuance that strongly expresses national characters. Yes, lacquer art has a centuries-old tradition in Vietnam, having first been introduced by the Chinese in the making of handicrafts and decorative items. In previous centuries, wooden statues in village's communal houses, temples, pagodas were red-lacquered and trimmed with gold. Altars, parallel sentences panels, and horizontal lacquered boards were handled by lacquering with sparkling colors. Why was lacquer painting considered as an original art of Vietnam? After the establishment of the Ecole des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine by the French in 1925, however, that anonymous craft performance became a new art form and was applied to paintings for the first time. At that time, the founders of the Ecole, Victor Tardieu and Joseph Inguimberty, recognized the beauty of the Vietnamese artistic traditions and wanted to help their students make the most of their heritage as well as teaching them Western painting. During the 20 years of its operation, the Ecole trained more than 100 Vietnamese artists who would become the pioneers of Vietnamese modern art, combining indigenous art forms with the art of Manet, Degas, Monet, Pissarro and Renoir. The 1930s was the time when lacquer paintings and other works of fine arts confronted a great renaissance. It confirmed that the ability to express ideas and feelings of lacquer paintings is unlimited. The lacquer and colors Lacquer is a clear sap coming from of six species of trees growing in the North and the South Vietnam, both belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. Lacquer - a harmless substance - is harvested in the same way as rubber by making an incision and letting the sap flow. Fresh lacquer is whitish and turns brown upon exposure to air. Black lacquer stems from a chemical reaction between lacquer and iron, then, it will be mixed with various natural or artificial dyes to produce the favorable colors. Surprisingly, several shades of red are extracted from a naturally occurring red mineral, cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). White is produced from eggshell. Eggs from ducks are used because they have a better structure than hens’ eggs. The eggshells are cleaned and sometimes even burned to obtain a brownish tinge. Several other materials may be used to make lacquer paintings; the most common are gold leaf and silver leaf. Silver is used below the layers of colors to create an effect of immense luster. Gold leaf, on the other hand, is often applied as the final layer. An interesting use of gold leaf will make it appear as bright light flowing through the window. Besides, a range of other materials may also be used, such as shells, sand, epoxy and clay. Applying colors and polishing Painting with lacquer is a long and complex process requiring great skill and patience. It may take several months, depending on the specific technique of the artist and how many layers of lacquer are included. It involves the application of many layers of lacquer on a prepared wooden board, allowing each to dry in turn, and finally polishing the painting with pumice to reveal whatever colors the artist desires in different areas of the painting. Other materials used include eggshell to produce a white color, mother-of-pearl, gold and silver leaf. The final result is smooth and durable and will not crack due to fluctuations of temperature or humidity. However, paintings after finishing need more time to be touched. It may be months, years, even plenty of years. The painters have to whet again and again their paintings to make them flat. Paints are drawn in many layers then can bring beautiful, occult and splendid colors. If you take notice, you can realize the capabilities and preeminence of different ones. Black lacquer is shiny, glossy and profoundly mysterious while cockroach-wing lacquer is lissome and limpid. Covering golden or silver color, the other colors can change to create derivative color bringing theatrical timbre. By coordinating ages of different-aged colors, color powders also become vaporous and radiant to finally make up sunk and floated parts of the paintings.
There are some painters who have strong attachment with lacquer and have published resounding paintings such as Nguyen Sang with his work "Afternoon rest"; Tran Van Can with "Miss Thuy"; Phan Ke An with the painting "Missing one evening in North west"; To Ngoc Van and "Spending the night on roadside"; Mai Van Nam with "Going to Bac Ha market"; Nguyen Van Ty with "Thatched cottage and foot of jackfruit"; Tran Đinh Tho and "Bamboo"; and Nguyen Gia Tri with "Spring Garden", "Bailing water to prevent blood", and "The girl at hibiscus mutabilis flower". In Vietnamese art treasure, besides lacquer paintings, there are many kinds of traditional paintings such as Dong Ho glazed paper paintings, oil-paintings, silk paintings.... Each type has its own special features that make Vietnamese people always feel proud when mentioning them with foreign friends from all over the world.
A glance at Vietnamese folk painting!
Folk painting is a combination of traditional cultural values with ancient artistic methods that have been created through the labor of past generations. There are two types of Vietnamese folk painting, Tet holiday paintings and worshiping paintings.
Long history
The folk painting’s journey is the story of the Vietnamese traditional
art from the past to the present. During the Ly Dynasty (12th century),
there were many families who specialized in woodblock carving. By the
end of the Tran Dynasty, they were also printing paper money. At the
beginning of the Le So Dynasty, the Chinese technique of carving
printing boards was adopted and improved. The History Museum and the
Fine Art Museum in Hanoi still keep old printing boards as
archives.During the Mac Dynasty (16th century), folk painting developed
quite extensively and was popular among the aristocracy in Thang Long.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the art of folk painting was stable and
highly developed.
In a folk painting, the deities are large and take the upper positions, the ordinary people are drawn on a smaller scale and the size of the animals as well as the natural scenery are depicted depends on their relationship to the sentiment or expressed story. These unique characteristics make the paintings profoundly impressive. With color as red as peony, as yellow as ripe paddy, as green as a young rice plant, the images have by themselves the taste of rural areas in all their characteristic rusticity. Besides, scallop shells give a typically Vietnamese gleam and constitute a decorative element of printed pictures of a very simple treatment. As a result of cultural exchange, Vietnamese folk painting have retained and developed certain traditional aspects. As well, the paintings have been influenced and enriched by the genius of other painting styles. One exception is Dong Ho paintings, which continue to exist unchanged against the challenges of time.
Dong Ho Paintings
Dong Ho folk painting is famous because Dong Ho is the only village where people know how to make the painting with completely natural materials. The printing paper is made of the bark of a tree called "Do". The background paper is originally white; then, people use natural materials to change the colors of the papers to orange, pink, yellow, purple, etc. Dong Ho folk painting is known for the durability of their colors which are refined from various kinds of tree leaves that people can easily find in Vietnam. Particularly, the red color is taken from the earth of hills and mountains; black is from coal of burned bamboo leaves; the glittering white color is made of sea shells. After that, in order to prevent the painting from the daylight, the artist will cover it with a layer of sticky rice paste (called ho nep).
Paintings here vary from decorative for Tet Holiday to pieces of
worship. Dong Ho painting is considered a cultural symbol of Vietnam; it
has been sustained for centuries. Scenes depicted in these paintings are
usually those of ordinary life, landscapes, seasons of the year, symbols
of prosperity, etc. They also reflect people’s innermost feelings,
wishes and simple dreams. Because their popular appearance, folk
painting is available throughout Vietnam, from the village markets to
the capital city.
The Vietnamese believe in ancestor worship and the deification of natural phenomena, both of them are reflected in the paintings. Hang Trong paintings are popular as worshiping paintings in temples. As such, the paintings are often hung in spacious living rooms or in holy places.
Hang Trong paintings are also printed with black lines to form the basis
for the color. However, unlike Dong Ho paintings, they are made by hand.
Large sheets of imported paper and brightly colored paints are used for
Hang Trong paintings. The content of these paintings are significantly
influenced by Chinese drawings. Hang Trong paintings have traditionally
served the poorer classes and are made and sold in the capital city. Among the Vietnamese arts, folk painting is a long standing traditional one. It is highly appreciated by generations to the others and has become an indispensable moral alimentation. Dong Ho as well as Hang Trong painting had set their place deeply in the soul of the people and remained their features unchangeable in spite of the upheavals of the times.
Vietnamese Silk Painting
The Vietnamese style of silk painting emphasizes softness, elegance and has a flexibility of style. The success of a silk painting very much depends on the quality of the silk. Differently with other kinds of paintings, the silk canvas are usually not painted. The Vietnamese traditional silk painting style tends to use the silk canvas directly as the background of the painting. Vietnamese silk paintings typically showcase the countryside, landscapes, pagodas, historical events or scenes of daily life. The colors are used delicately with the canvas to make Vietnamese silk paintings. The delicate white color found in the sky, water, or human portrait, is the color of silk. The color of silk is well known to describe human figure in the paintings of many famous vietnamese artists. Delicate color and silk background give the paintings such an harmony with the nature. Whatever style they follow, silk painters must have an intimate knowledge of the material and fully exploit its shininess and its attractiveness. Painting silk is full of changing and unexpected characteristics, and a wrong stroke of the brush is irreversible. Silk represents an important language of Vietnamese painting after lacquer. Its capacity of absorption and dilution given to the works an impression of mellowness spreading through the woofs and wefts of silk, adding a certain vibration to the forms and colours. Vietnamese silk painting has its own unique character and colours that are distinctly different from those from ancient China and feudal Japan. Each painting is a great description of the beautiful nature and talented skills of the Vietnamese. By using contemporary colours, Vietnamese silk painting has won the hearts of many art lovers nationally and Internationally.
Dong Ho Painting
Vietnamese Water Puppet (Mua Roi Nuoc)
If you are ever in Hanoi it will be regretful to miss the Water Puppet Theater - even if you think you are not a puppet kind of person. Water Puppets literally means “puppets that dance on the water”. This show is not just geared for kids, but meant to delight adults as well.
Vietnamese Water Puppet originated from the Red River Delta of Vietnam in the tenth century. Some of the earliest troupes are in Nguyên Xá commune, Đông Hưng district, Thai Binh province. Water puppetry is deeply imbued with the cultural characteristics of the people of this area. This unique art first appeared around the 15th century, when post-harvest, artists who were also farmers would gather to perform and relax. The custom remains today in many localities in the Red River Delta such as Dao Thuc, Phu Da, Dong Ca, Nguyen Xa, Dong Ngu, Nhan Hoa and Nam Chan. In ancient Vietnam, the rural Vietnamese believed that spirits controlled all aspects of their life, from the kitchen to the rice paddies. That is the reason why the farmers in this region devised a form of entertainment and worship to satisfy these spirits. Water puppetry is the lively creation of farmers who spent their days in flooded rice fields. At some point, they discovered that the water was an excellent medium for puppetry: it not only concealed the puppeteers' rod and string mechanisms, but it also provided exciting effects like waves and splashes. When water puppetry became more popular, villages competed against each other with their puppet shows. This led puppet societies to be secretive and exclusive, including an initiation ceremony that involved drinking rooster blood. So far this art form has been unique to North Vietnam. Tourists can enjoy this kind of art all days in a week at Thang Long Puppet Theatre, which is the most well known one in Ha Noi. Performance For over a thousand years, performers in Vietnamese Water Puppet Theater’s feet have always suffered in cold and wet condition. Water puppetry is performed in a chest-deep pool of water, with the water's surface as a stage. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppet is carved out of wood and often weighs up to 15 kg. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers to control them. The appearance is of the puppets moving over the water. The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water. In the past when the rice fields were flooded the villagers would entertain each other using this puppet form. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. Singers of Cheo (a form of opera) with origin in North Vietnam sing the songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. Performances of up to 18 short scenes are usually introduced by a pig-tailed bumpkin known as Teu, and accompanied by a small folk orchestra. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need. Along with singing the atmosphere, while the decorations set the stage for each particula, traditional musical instruments like drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, two-string Chinese violins and flutes create r style of water puppetry. Researcher Nguyen Huy Hong believes that water puppetry combines sculpture, architecture, painting, music, stage and literature. Content The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told older generation to younger generation. Of which stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted. The water also provides the best setting for the puppeteers' theme: day-to-day village life. Water puppets bring wry humor to scenes of farming, fishing, festival events such as buffalo fights, and children's games of marbles and coin-toss. Fishing turns into a game of wits between the fisherman and his prey, with the fisherman getting the short end (often capturing his surprised neighbor by mistake). Besides village life, scenes include legends and national history. Lion dogs romp like puppies while dragons exhale smoke and shoot sprays of water at the audience. Teu, a pig-tailed bumpkin, is the character who usually plays the role of introducing the performances. The introduction is always accompanied by a small folk orchestra. Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere. Legends and national history are also told through short skits. Many of the skits, especially those involving the tales of day-to-day living, often have a humorous twist. Water puppetry has always gone hand in hand with festivals. Each Lunar March 13, Bo Duong villagers hold village festival to commemorate their tutelary god. Aside from worship, the festival is also an opportunity for villagers to relax by watching water puppetry, taking in fireworks displays, flying kites and entering cock-fighting contests. The festival always attracts thousands of attendants. Village festivals are great wind down for farmers and artists alike.
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Dongson
bronze drum
Modern
Vietnamese artists
began to utilize French techniques with many traditional mediums such as
silk, lacquer, etc., thus creating a unique blend of eastern and western
elements.
Many
lacquer paintings and art objects of Vietnam have been brought overseas
in mass. Painters, much or little, often draw lacquer
paintings by sudden inspiration and following their flow of emotions.
Vibration in their heart is reflected through the work without any rules
or formulas. Because of those factors, the spirit in Vietnam's paintings
turns to be profound. 
Each
style of painting is different. However, in all the styles, shapes are
created based on the concept of don tuyen binh do (single
line-simple designs) which uses lines to bend the colored shapes and to
make a border for the picture. Another method used is thuan tay hay
mat (easy to draw and to see). With this design form, the folk
painting does not depend on the rules of perspective. 
Hang
Trong Paintings
Silk
painting is the traditional Vietnamese art of silk painting which
originates from painting and drawing on home made rice paper. Today this
art has become famous around the world for its simple poetic themes and
vibrant colors. Vietnamese artists find the technique to be a unique way
to create mystique in their paintings.
Dong
Ho Painting is a kind of Vietnamese folk painting originating in Dong Ho
Village in Song Ho Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province.
Dong Ho paintings have about 300 years of history in the north of
Vietnam.
History: