"Spontaneous Dong Ho" - Artist Trieu Khac Tien

Cultural inspiration is one of the themes that viewers often encounter in Trieu Khac Tien’s lacquer paintings.  We continue to see the artist’s attempt to blend folk aesthetics with modern imagery.  In the painting "Spontaneous Dong Ho", the artist depicted three little boys in traditional costumes surrounding a birdcage, while the protruding peach blossom branches signal the beginning of spring, similar to the Dong Ho folk painting: "Playing with birds".  Moreover, it requires some effort to fully see the shape of the figures in Dong Ho folk painting, this is due to the various details such as flowers, dragons, groves, etc., enveloped upon each other. Comprising mostly lacquer, the painting can preserve past images with its array of faded coatings, overlapped by modern and decisive brushstrokes.  True to its name, the spontaneity in the painting allures viewers to explore.