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Story: Anh Dao
Born and raised in Hanoi, the artist Trinh Tuan lived through the hardships of the subsidized era. As a result, memories of Hanoi became deeply ingrained in his works. His lacquer paintings mainly depict fragments of memories of Hanoi, from street corners and courtyards to changing scenes of Hoan Kiem Lake through the four seasons. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Tuan has persistently woven these memories into his artworks.
On an autumn day, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the founding of Heritage Magazine and Vietnam’s flag carrier – Vietnam Airlines, we met Mr. Tuan, who has a special love for Hanoi.
Is it true that before turning to painting you were a chamber music singer?
Not exactly. I have loved music and painting since childhood and even dreamt of becoming a chamber music singer. But painting might suit my personality better. Nevertheless, I still hold a passion for chamber music.
If you were so passionate about music, why did you switch to painting and choose traditional lacquer – a difficult medium to work with?
In my artistic endeavors, I have always been fascinated by painting. I was fortunate to have studied at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts from the age of seven. I loved and pursued visual arts, but when I got to university, I switched to Design, and later became a lecturer at the university.
In 1994, during a conversation with the lacquer artisan Dang Ngoc Bach, he mentioned that my artistic style was a good fit for traditional lacquer. He encouraged and guided me to experiment with this material. Ever since, I have been irresistibly drawn to its allure.
Does music influence your paintings?
Yes, and more than that. Actually, music and painting share many similarities; the only difference is that one communicates feelings, perspectives, and aesthetic sensibilities through images, and the other through sound. Those who understand visual art often say that my paintings carry a musical quality and each painting is like a serenade.
Since your first exhibition in 1996, you’ve participated in nearly 200 domestic and international exhibitions. Which one holds the greatest meaning for you?
A significant milestone and a big change for me was participating in the “Inside” exhibition in Kassel, Germany in 1997. At that time, the Internet was not prevalent, art press coverage was limited, and opportunities to participate in international art events were scarce. I wandered through many museums in Europe and realized that what I was doing seemed outdated. I needed to change my mindset and creative perspective.
How did you change?
When it comes to traditional lacquer works, viewers often immediately think of a color palette associated with this material, such as the black of black lacquer, the shimmer of gold and silver, and Asian-style motifs. These are precious values left by the artisans and masters who came before. However, if we pay too much attention to traditional values, it becomes an obstacle to promoting lacquer’s unique characteristics, which not all materials possess. I have introduced my own color palette into my lacquer paintings, and found ways to handle color harmony by creating multiple layers of varying thickness on the surface, before polishing the work to perfection and focusing on an intricate and cohesive language of composition.
Having been born and raised in Hanoi, what is the spirit of this city that resonates in your artworks?
It’s nostalgia. This can be clearly seen in my paintings about Hanoi spanning many years. An artist may create many contemporary pieces without much difficulty, but it’s no easy task to evoke memories and subconscious emotions and the aesthetics of the past for viewers.
Leaving nostalgia aside, if you could paint Hanoi according to your liking, how would you paint it?
There have been moments when I wanted to discard my memories of Hanoi in my creations but couldn’t. Those beautiful reminiscences are deeply ingrained in my soul, and you cannot create a beautiful work with an empty heart and soul.
Thank you!
