• News
  • Add Your Events
  • Support & Advertise
  • Contact Us

Logo

Navigation
  • Art News
  • Art Listings
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Auctions
    • Workshops
    • Talks
    • Guided Tours
    • Festivals, Markets, Parties
    • Kids’ & Families’ Events
    • Performances
    • Film
    • Open Calls
  • Art Venues

Art of Vietnam: The Colors of Life

News

Vietnamese paintings are vibrant, full of colors, life and movement. Vietnamese artists celebrate life and their quest for everyday happiness, laying onto their canvases a brilliant energy.

Vietnamese art differs from other Asian art forms. Through the centuries, Eastern and Western influences have merged to create a distinct Vietnamese art.

"Blossom Tree" by Lieu Nguyen Huong Duong, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, 2013

“Blossom Tree” by Lieu Nguyen Huong Duong, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, 2013

Chinese art gave Vietnam its religious art and calligraphy. As China expanded southwards from the 16th century onwards, traditional Chinese art encountered the radically different Hindu aesthetic canons prevalent in the art of the Champa and Khmer kingdoms.

But the most radical transformation of Vietnamese art came with the arrival of the French colonials in the 19th Century. As French artists portrayed Vietnam from their distinctly European perspective, Vietnamese artists became equally intrigued by the European approach. The Chinese vertical representation of perspective began to blend with European focal point composition while the versatile techniques of oil painting coexisted with the rigorous discipline of Chinese ink on paper painting. The European love of painting outdoors in the tranquil countryside or in the middle of bustling village life met the more intimate and meditative tradition of indoor painting.

The European influence, particularly that of the French, brought about the establishment of the Indochina College of Fine Art in Hanoi in the early 20th century. An energetic exchange of ideas and techniques flowed between the College’s European teachers and artists and their Vietnamese colleagues and students. The Impressionist movement, already well-rooted in Europe, resonated with the Vietnamese soul, becoming a major artistic trend but with a distinctively Vietnamese approach. The influence of Impressionism on Vietnamese art is still clearly visible today.

From the early 20th century, an incredibly dynamic artistic movement developed in Vietnam. The number of artists and art connoisseurs flourished. New techniques were invented for silk paintings. The art of lacquer painting, unique to Vietnam, was developed. Vietnamese art was celebrated across borders, particularly in France, where numerous successful exhibitions recognized the talent of Vietnamese artists.

The dynamism of Vietnamese artistic life did not die during Vietnam’s turbulent 20th century. On the contrary, the vibrant colors of Vietnamese painting became even more vital. Rather than becoming passive, artists made the most out of a difficult situation. American influence was soon followed by Communist presence which allowed talented young artists to travel to major Eastern Europe universities to study European classical art.

Today, even more than in the past, Vietnamese art is subject to global influences, but its unique heritage is clearly visible in the vitality and innovation which is so much a part of this art form. Vietnamese art is the triumph of life and happiness over hardship. The vibrant colors and techniques of the canvases honour the convergence of people and civilisation.

Through the work of some of the most renowned contemporary artists in Vietnam, curated by ArtBlue Studio, this exhibition celebrates the joy of the moment.

Share this story:
  • tweet

Comments are closed.

Art Calendar

SAGG on Facebook

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 hours 49 minutes ago

cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/watch/singapores-founding-fathers-pop-art-cartoonist-sonny-liews-nostalgic-tribute-467716

Singapore’s founding fathers as pop art: Cartoonist Sonny Liew’s nostalgic tribute

For the upcoming art exhibition Artist’s Proof: Singapore At 60, cartoonist Sonny Liew reimagined three of Singapore’s founding fathers as toy figurines.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

3 weeks 2 days ago

theindependent.sg/national-gallery-singapore-reveals-untold-legacy-of-asian-artists-in-modern-art/

National Gallery Singapore reveals untold legacy of Asian artists in modern art - Singapore News

This new art show tells the story of Asian artists in 1920s Paris that most people have never heard.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

3 weeks 2 days ago

thesmartlocal.com/read/retro-places-singapore/

14 Retro Places In Singapore To Feel Like You've Travelled Back In Time

Retro's back in fashion, so here's a list of 14 retro places in Singapore you can go to to immerse yourself in an old-school charm.

1
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 5 days ago

www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts-design/national-gallery-singapores-ink-show-ambitious-unsatisfying

National Gallery Singapore’s ink show is ambitious – but unsatisfying

[SINGAPORE] National Gallery Singapore’s new ink exhibition sets out with an ambitious goal: to show ink not as a fixed tradition but as a living, changing language shaped by calligraphers, poets, abstractionists and experimental artists over time and across cultures. Read more at The Business Tim...

2
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 1 week ago

www.littledayout.com/ocean-diving-into-the-unknown-exhibition-alliance-francaise-singapore/

Ocean: Diving Into The Unknown At Alliance Française Singapore

Take a dive into the blue world at Alliance Française’s latest exhibition, Ocean: Diving into the Unknown. A collaboration with the French National Museum of

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 2 weeks ago

www.eco-business.com/press-releases/uob-partners-sg-eco-fund-to-bring-sustainability-and-art-to-the-community/

UOB partners SG Eco Fund to bring sustainability and art to the community

UOB, one of Singapore’s leading banks, and the SG Eco Fund have announced a two-year partnership to drive greater community awareness of sustainability and art.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 3 weeks ago

www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/eight-singapore-indie-booksellers-launch-bookshop-sg-as-amazon-alternative

Eight Singapore indie booksellers launch Bookshop.sg as Amazon alternative

The online store, which launches on May 14, describes itself as an act of "radical cooperation". Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

2
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 4 weeks ago

www.asiaone.com/singapore/over-50k-gold-coins-cash-stolen-veteran-artist-koeh-sia-yongs-home-while-he-was-bali

Over $50k in gold coins, cash stolen from veteran artist Koeh Sia Yong's home while he was in Bali

SINGAPORE — While veteran Singaporean artist Koeh Sia Yong was away in Indonesia for nearly two months earlier in 2025, his bedroom drawers back home were emptied of more than $50,000 in valuables. The 87-year-old returned to his two-bedroom unit at The Interlace condo in Depot Road on March 15 to...

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 4 weeks ago

danamic.org/2025/05/11/order-is-essential-what-we-learnt-about-fernando-zobel-at-his-national-gallery-exhibit/

Order is Essential: What We Learnt about Fernando Zóbel at his National Gallery Exhibit

Come learn with us about the life, thoughts and works of Fernando Zóbel in a truly transcontinental exhibition that's open right now!

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 months 2 weeks ago

www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts-design/how-one-man-made-nude-art-possible-singapore

How one man made nude art possible in Singapore

Yeo Workshop celebrates the legacy of Solamalay Namasivayam, who fought for nude figure drawing when it was still considered 'indecent'. Today, nude figure drawing is a cornerstone of artist training in Singapore Read more at The Business Times.

2
View on Facebook
Share
  • News
  • Add Your Events
  • Support & Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
© 2020. Singapore Art & Gallery Guide
We use cookies that are necessary for the website's functions. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.