Special Edition
A Landmark Publication Honoring the Legacy of Nguyễn Gia Trí
What is it that has kept Nguyễn Gia Trí, among the many great masters of Vietnamese art, consistently recognized as an icon of lacquer painting?
His stature was shaped through a lifetime of sustained artistic inquiry. Working with traditional Vietnamese lacquer, Nguyễn Gia Trí developed a new visual language, elevating lacquer into a distinctive form of painting with an established place in modern art. His explorations helped shape an important chapter in the history of twentieth-century Vietnamese art.
This publication opens a window into that world through a carefully selected and thoughtfully connected body of artworks, archival materials, and stories. Through these materials, readers are invited to come closer to Nguyễn Gia Trí’s life, artistic vision, and enduring legacy—one that continues to inspire generations today and those yet to come.
THE ARTIST’S JOURNEY
Nguyễn Gia Trí was born in Chương Mỹ, Hà Đông Province, now part of Hanoi.
1908
THE MAKING OF A LEGEND
École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine – Hanoi
1932-1936
THE FORMATIVE YEARS
Roaming from Hanoi through the northern midlands, he observed, sketched, and experimented with painting, deepening his engagement with landscape and everyday life.
1937-1941
THE FIRST STEPS
From Vụ Bản, Châu Lạc Sơn in Hòa Bình to Sơn La Prison; from Hanoi to Shanghai and Hong Kong; then back to Hanoi and onward to Thủ Dầu Một, Bình Dương.
1941-1953
YEARS OF TURBULENCE
In Saigon, Nguyễn Gia Trí devoted himself increasingly to lacquer, developing a distinctive artistic voice and deepening his mastery of the medium.
1953 – 1975
ESTABLISHING HIS ARTISTIC LEGACY
He continued to work quietly in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing a lifetime of artistic creation to a close while leaving a profound and enduring legacy in Vietnamese art.
1975 – 1993
THE CULMINATION OF A LIFETIME IN ART
AN ENDURING ARTISTIC LEGACY
Nguyễn Gia Trí was one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century Vietnamese art. Through his early experiments with traditional Vietnamese lacquer, he developed a new visual language that transformed lacquer from a traditional craft into a distinctive medium of painting with an established place in modern art.
Works such as Young Woman with Frangipani Flowers, Spring Garden of Central, South, and North Vietnam, and the Young Woman in the Garden screen, with a landscape on the reverse, together with numerous works from his later years, reveal a lifelong artistic journey marked by continual exploration. Through successive layers of lacquer, gold, silver, eggshell, and vermilion, Nguyễn Gia Trí created richly layered pictorial spaces in which light seems to emerge from the material itself.
His legacy continues to live on in museums, private collections, and scholarly research on Vietnamese art. Many of his works have become landmarks of Vietnamese lacquer painting, recognized by art historians, collectors, and cultural institutions in Vietnam and abroad as defining achievements of modern Vietnamese painting.
Nguyễn Gia Trí
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Vườn xuân Trung Nam Bắc (bản 5 tấm vóc ghép), sơn mài, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Spring Garden of the Central, Southern, Northern Regions (five-panel composite version), lacquer painting, Collection of Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ bên hoa phù dung (tác phẩm mẫu), 1944, sơn mài trên giấy, 71 × 102 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Young Woman beside Hibiscus (study artwork), 1944, lacquer on paper, 71 × 102 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Sen cuối hạ, sơn mài, 79 × 120 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Lotus at Summer’s End, lacquer painting, 79 × 120 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ bên hoa hồng, sơn mài, 46 × 74 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Young Woman with Roses, lacquer painting, 46 × 74 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ trong sắc son, sơn mài, 36.8 × 44.5 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyen Gia Tri, Young Woman in Vermilion, lacquer, 36.8 × 44.5 cm. Collection of Ha Quoc Thai.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Ra khơi III, sơn mài, 36.8 × 44.5 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyen Gia Tri, Setting Sail III, lacquer, 36.8 × 44.5 cm. Collection of Ha Quoc Thai.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ trong vườn xuân, sơn mài, 61 × 84 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Young Women in the Spring Garden, lacquer painting, 61 × 84 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ trong gió xuân, sơn mài, 66 × 89 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Young Woman in the Spring Breeze, lacquer painting, 66 × 89 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Giấc mộng son, sơn mài, 71 × 122 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Crimson Dream, lacquer painting, 71 × 122 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Vườn xuân I (tác phẩm mẫu), màu nước – mực trên giấy, 58 × 76 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Spring Garden I (model work), watercolor and ink on paper, 58 × 76 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection. Hà Quốc Thái Collection 1
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Vũ khúc thiên thai, sơn mài, 240 × 122 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Celestial Dance, lacquer on panel, 240 × 122 cm, Hà Quốc Thái Collection
Nguyễn Gia Trí, Thiếu nữ bên ghềnh suối, sơn mài, 66 × 87,6 cm, sưu tập Hà Quốc Thái.
Nguyen Gia Tri, Young Women by the Stream, lacquer painting, 66 × 87,6 cm, Ha Quoc Thai Collection.
About the Publication Nguyễn Gia Trí – A Vietnamese Lacquer Legend
OPENING A LEGACY
375 pages, 25 × 35 cm. More than 200 artworks and archival materials. A journey through an artist’s life and work.
A bilingual Vietnamese–English publication tracing the life, creative practice, and legacy of Nguyễn Gia Trí—one of the defining figures of twentieth-century Vietnamese art.
Through carefully selected artworks, sketches, archival materials, and stories, the publication offers a deeper perspective on the artist who transformed Vietnamese lacquer from a traditional craft into a new artistic language.
Nguyễn Gia Trí — Behind the Masterpieces
A life shaped by profound upheaval, a relentless pursuit of artistic expression, and the stories behind the works that established Nguyễn Gia Trí’s enduring reputation.
Nguyễn Gia Trí – A Vietnamese Lacquer Legend
MAIN CONTENTS OF THE BOOK
Two chapters, two perspectives—leading to a deeper understanding of Nguyễn Gia Trí.
From the man to the artist, from the upheavals of a life to the values that endure in the history of Vietnamese art, the book traces the making of an artist and his place in modern Vietnamese art.
Behind the works that have become iconic lies a human story, a lifelong creative journey, and an artistic legacy that transcends time.
CHAPTER I: NGUYỄN GIA TRÍ — JOURNEYS INTO HIS CREATIVE UNIVERSE
From his years at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, through his travels and the upheavals of his time, to his explorations of form, color, and material, this chapter traces Nguyễn Gia Trí’s path toward becoming an artist.
Chapter I forms the core of the book’s narrative, focusing on Nguyễn Gia Trí as a person and the journey through which he became an artist. Through key milestones in his life, the book traces his years of study, artistic practice, displacement, imprisonment, and return, revealing how his lived experiences shaped the development of his artistic thinking.
The “Overview” section opens with the story of Nguyễn Gia Trí’s artistic path and years of displacement, alongside reflections by collector Hà Quốc Thái on his relationship with the artist and the legacy he left behind.
The journey then unfolds across eight sections, beginning with the years following his graduation from the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, followed by the period from Vụ Bản – Châu Lạc Sơn to Sơn La Prison, his years under restriction in Hanoi, his years in exile, his period of supervised residence in Thủ Dầu Một, the later years in which his artistic stature was firmly established, and the final years of his life.
The journey concludes with “The Path to Abstraction”—an approach that brings readers closer to the transformations in his artistic thinking and to his explorations beyond familiar conventions.
This is the chapter in which we encounter Nguyễn Gia Trí as a man, before seeing him through the title of a master.
CHAPTER II: RECOGNITION AND ARTISTIC LEGACY
Drawing on archival materials, contemporary press coverage, scholarly research, and the Hà Quốc Thái Collection, this chapter reexamines Nguyễn Gia Trí’s place in the history of Vietnamese art. Friends, art professionals, and contemporary newspapers offer their perspectives on the artist and his enduring significance.
If Chapter I tells the story of the journey of becoming Nguyễn Gia Trí, Chapter II places him within a broader context: how the art world, the press, scholars, and subsequent generations have viewed and understood him.
The section “Exhibitions and Reception” traces how Nguyễn Gia Trí’s works were presented and received within the artistic life of his time.
The book then examines critical perspectives on Nguyễn Gia Trí, including assessments by contemporary Vietnamese art circles during 1939–1944, voices from the international press during the colonial period, and international scholarship on his work.
“Recognition After a Lifetime of Quiet Devotion” brings readers to the critical assessments that emerged after a long career of artistic practice. This is followed by “Nguyễn Gia Trí’s Artistic Philosophy,” where the ideas and principles underlying his artistic practice are considered and explored.
Particularly significant is “A Comprehensive View of Nguyễn Gia Trí’s Works in the Hà Quốc Thái Collection,” which offers a perspective through the collection, allowing readers to encounter his legacy through a body of works gathered and preserved over time.
This is the chapter that shifts the narrative from the artist as an individual to his place in the memory and history of art.
PUBLICATION EDITIONS
THREE EDITIONS, THREE WAYS OF PRESERVING THE LEGACY
STANDARD
Explore the world of Nguyễn Gia Trí through bilingual content, carefully selected artworks, and archival materials.
COLLECTOR’S — 80 COPIES
A special edition for those who wish to preserve his legacy, accompanied by a handcrafted lacquer box and an original Yuroz print.
DELUXE — 20 COPIES
The most exclusive edition, featuring a handcrafted lacquer box and two Yuroz prints—one in its original form and one hand-colored entirely by the artist.
From a publication created for readers who love art (Standard Edition) to editions designed for collectors (Collector’s Edition and Deluxe Edition).
The Standard Edition is published for readers with an appreciation of painting, fine art, and Vietnamese culture. The limited Collector’s Edition (80 copies) and Deluxe Edition (20 copies) are intended for collectors and those who wish to preserve the publication as a lasting artistic value.
Both limited editions are housed in handcrafted lacquer boxes, meticulously created and finished by Vietnamese lacquer artists through numerous stages of craftsmanship. From selecting the materials and preparing the form to applying lacquer, polishing, and finishing the surface, each box bears the creative imprint of its maker, creating a dialogue between the art of publishing and Vietnam’s traditional lacquer art.
The Collector’s Edition includes an original print created by renowned contemporary American artist Yuroz specifically for the project, as a tribute to Nguyễn Gia Trí. Known for his expressive visual language, Yuroz’s work is held in private collections, art institutions, and museums across numerous countries. Created exclusively for this publication, the print marks a meeting between the sensibility of a contemporary artist and the legacy of a master of Vietnamese lacquer painting.
The Deluxe Edition includes two Yuroz prints. The first preserves the artist’s original print. The second is individually hand-colored and entirely hand-finished by Yuroz for each edition, giving every work its own distinct character and artistic imprint.
The layers of color emerge through the artist’s emotion, intuition, and improvisation, opening a dialogue between two generations of artists, two cultures, and two visual languages. Through each hue, Yuroz conveys his respect, affinity, and admiration for Nguyễn Gia Trí. The Deluxe Edition therefore transcends the value of a publication to become a synthesis of publishing, painting, and the spirit of collecting—a work to be preserved and passed down through generations.
VOICES FROM THE LEGACY
Memories, scholarship, and artistic dialogue offer diverse perspectives on Nguyễn Gia Trí.
“The purpose of this book is to offer a multifaceted perspective: on an artist who remained deeply committed to the pursuit of beauty, continually challenged the boundaries of form, and always placed art within the realm of creative freedom.”
“Nguyễn Gia Trí is not merely a name in Vietnamese art, but also a vivid testament to the aspiration to bring Vietnamese art to a truly universal stature.”
NGUYỄN HẢI YẾN
ART HISTORIAN · CO-AUTHOR
“Some encounters can shape an entire chapter of a life. The fragments that remained from Nguyễn Gia Trí’s life gradually came together, forming a more complete collection of his artistic journey.”
“This book, therefore, is not only a tribute to the painter Nguyễn Gia Trí, but also a farewell I offer to Tuệ—a close friend who has passed into eternity, yet who left me with the responsibility of fulfilling his cherished wish.”
HÀ QUỐC THÁI
COLLECTOR · CO-AUTHOR
“Nguyễn Gia Trí holds a distinctive place in the history of Vietnamese art. The more I read through the archival materials, articles, and research on his work, the more I came to appreciate the depth of his artistic journey. Working on the editorial review of this book has given me an opportunity to look at Nguyễn Gia Trí’s legacy from different perspectives and to better understand why his work continues to resonate today.”
MICHAEL JOHNSON
CHAIRMAN, PICTURE ART FOUNDATION · EDITORIAL REVIEW
“When I first began learning about Nguyễn Gia Trí, I was drawn to the way he used lacquer to create a world entirely his own. The more I discovered about his work, the more I sensed the freedom and depth behind his artistic thinking. Creating a work for this project has been a special experience for me. It feels like a conversation with an artist from another generation, carried through color, material, and the language of painting.”
YUROZ
Contemporary American artist
