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Nguyen Phan Chanh, 1892-1984 Channeling Experience with a Medium, 1931 Silk Painting Nguyen Phan Chanh started promoting silk painting in Vietnam.  He realized that the silk painting of ancient China had a unique and transparent appearance.  These qualities of silk painting and the Vietnamese expertise in creating them could help Vietnamese artists differentiate their national art of Vietnam from the popular European oil paintings.   By using the everyday life scene and charming transparency colors, Nguyen Phan Chanh successfully proved that silk painting could become one of the appropriate art forms of Vietnam.

Nguyen Gia Tri, 1906-1993 Bamboo Grove, 1938 Lacquer Painting Nguyen Gia Tri was one of the leading artists in Vietnamese Lacquer painting, especially during the years 1938 to 1944.  The lacquer painting was at its height during that period.  His work was carefully created and has magic beauty. Through layers of colors and the process of lacquer painting, Nguyen Gia Tri experimented with new colors such as bright yellow which gave a velvet look, and various mediums such as eggshells and precious stones.

To Ngoc Van, 1906-1954 A Girl by Lilies, 1943 Oil on Canvas To Ngoc Van was a master in Vietnamese oil painting.  His painting style was influenced by the French impressionist, Gauguin.  To Ngoc Van paid special attention to forms and rendered with delicacy.  He also showed great passion of colors.  He brought to Vietnamese art the strong harmonies of colors that later became very popular among Vietnamese artists.

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