ASEAN Life Vol 2 April 2016 | Page 22

The Luxurious Lacquerware Art of Vietnam by two French artists, Victor Tardieu and Joseph Inguimberty, who were impressed by the skills of the lacquerware artists in Vietnam. This led them in establishing the Ecole des Beaux Arts de l'Indochine in the country. They train students in creating lacquerware art that combines traditional and contemporary techniques. Photo by Daderot via www.wikimedia.org CC-0 When you visit Vietnam, one of the items to look for is lacquerware art, considered the national art of the country. Artworks made from lacquer were found in tombs that date back about 2,000 years ago. This shows that Vietnamese people already had knowledge and skills on how to use lacquer in art in ancient times. The art was revived Aside from paintings, lacquer is also used fo