Dive into an experience of lacquer art with artisan Vu Huy Men

On 8 Nov, we visited Vu Huy Men and listened to the stories he had to share on the art of lacquer. Underneath the winter sun, we had an extended and enthusiastic discussion with the seasoned artisan on his practice, the village, and the craft. The talk revolved around the history of the renowned Ha Thai Village and of the “very Vietnamese” wax tree used in the lacquer art; around a city dweller who, pursuing his passion for lacquer, moved back to the suburb and worked to develop and preserve the sophisticated techniques of the craft.

In the afternoon, we got a hands-on experience creating lacquer art pieces, with the artisan’s guidance on each step in the creation of a traditional lacquer painting. Vu Huy Men also instructed the participants on every technique, from paint mixing to drying the artwork. All of which were full of new and exciting knowledge for us.

As the experience came to an end, we had learned and appreciated so much more the art of lacquer through Vu Huy Men’s invaluable stories. Check out below some of the images from the excursion and don’t miss out on other events in Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design 2020!

13.11.2020

WRITER 
Đinh Nguyen