Artist
Nguyen Dinh Long
QUAN HO - SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR LACQUER
In the history of contemporary Vietnamese art, lacquer painting is not merely a medium
it is the whispered voice of memory, of cultural essence.
When speaking of the lacquer series on Quan Ho cultural life in Bac Ninh (2009–2014)
by artist Nguyen Dinh Long,
the viewer does not only encounter works of art,
but also touches upon an entire realm of consciousness,
where memory and the present intertwine in the golden glow and crimson hues of lacquer.
What gives this series its profound spiritual weight is the context:
the artist was born and raised in the very cradle of Kinh Bac culture.
From the melodies of Quan Ho sung along the riverbanks,
from the four-part dresses and traditional
of the liền anh and liền chị (male and female singers),
from the spring markets and the village ponds—all of these became flesh and blood,
an “invisible material” nourishing his artistic soul.
Transformed into lacquer painting, they become a luminous and enduring “space of memory,”
transcending the erosion of time.
Quan Ho Bac Ninh – Cultural Heritage in PaintingIn 2009, Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs were inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
But even before that milestone, for Nguyen Dinh Long,
Quan Ho had already been a hidden current flowing through his creative life.
As a child of Kinh Bac, he has always known Quan Ho not just as a form of folk singing,
but as a living cultural symbol—interwoven with childhood memories, family traditions,
and the very landscape of his homeland.
In the lacquer works of 2009–2014, viewers can easily recognize earthy browns,
vermilion reds, and shimmering gold and silver, evoking the temple roofs, pagoda structures, and traditional garments. Solid forms recall the village festivals, the call-and-response duets, the festive gatherings.
These paintings are more than images—they are symphonies of memory.
Importantly, Nguyen Dinh Long does not illustrate Quan Ho literally. Instead, through modern visual language, he “sculpts” the images of the singers on lacquer surfaces. Thus, the works embody both tradition (medium and subject) and contemporaneity
(form, composition, rhythm).
This series is not only a tribute to heritage but also raises the question: Where will Quan Ho go in today’s era? And what can visual art do to preserve the soul of the nation?
The Language of Lacquer and Artistic Expression
It is impossible to discuss this series without acknowledging its technical depth. Lacquer is a medium that demands patience, time, and a refined sense of light and color.
Nguyen Dinh Long has inherited this tradition while simultaneously developing his own artistic language.
In the Quan Ho Bac Ninh series, he layered then lacquer and cockroach-wing brown,
combining eggshell, gold, and silver to create spatial depth. When polished, l
uminous surfaces emerge like legendary memories,
evoking a sensation that is both real and dreamlike.
This is the unique spirit of lacquer painting: the sediment of time embodied on the canvas.
In terms of composition, the works often unfold rhythmically,
resembling the structure of an ancient Quan Ho song—with introduction, climax, and lingering conclusion.
The figures, usually grouped in clusters, depict liền anh and liền chị in their graceful attire
flowing four-part dresses, charming headscarves.
Their faces are stylized, not detailed, but still radiating gentleness and lyrical elegance the very spirit of Kinh Bac.
Notably, Nguyen Dinh Long expands beyond singing scenes to depict other cultural activities:
swinging festivals, temple fairs, or boat rides with duet singing on the river.
Together, they form a vast tableau of Kinh Bac’s spiritual life.