Biography
From a young age, artisan Nguyễn Tấn Phát showed a passion for the arts, turning broken roof tiles, dry twigs, and other scraps into tools to sketch his imagination on the ground or the walls of his village home. Coming from a family with no lacquerware tradition, his childhood was nonetheless filled with opportunities to follow his father and grandfather in carving and restoring village communal houses in his homeland. In this way, artistic values and a love for traditional culture quietly flowed within him like an underground spring, inspiring him to enroll early in the Traditional Fine Arts Department, specializing in Lacquerware, at Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts..
Career
From his third year as a student in the Traditional Fine Arts Department, Phát has been fully immersed in the lacquerware craft. While studying, he visited craft villages to learn from experienced masters and worked in the old streets of Hanoi—areas known for producing and selling lacquerware—gaining hands-on experience and valuable lessons for himself..
When entering the creative space of PHÁT Studio in the ancient village of Đường Lâm, visitors are always greeted by familiar glimpses of colors and images drawn from traditional village folk culture. From chickens and buffaloes to silkworms, the artisan “enchants” each subject, giving it forms that are simultaneously familiar and novel, carrying both spiritual significance and practical value. Many of these works are not only for display but also serve as jewelry, storage boxes, and other functional items,..
“I hope that through this class, many people will have the opportunity to engage with Vietnamese lacquer art, especially the younger generation, so they can help preserve and further develop the craft. At the same time, lacquer is one of the most uniquely Vietnamese painting materials, a distinctive feature of our art that I believe should be shared with friends around the world,” shared artisan Nguyễn Tấn Phát..
Activity
- A Brief Introduction to the History of Vietnamese Lacquer Art
- Guiding techniques for lacquer painting.
- Hands-on practice creating unique lacquerware products.
- Purchasing or appreciating the finished artworks.