VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition at Lotus Gallery in HCM City brings the country's traditional art of lacquer alive, combining contemporary and traditional values.

To abstraction: Ngo Thanh Nhan's Cho Sa Pa (Sa Pa Market), a lacquer work, combines traditional and modern styles.

Nhan uses lacquer in a modern style by using unusually light colours and simple shapes.

While Cho Sa Pa (Sa Pa Market) and Thieu Nu (Girl) combine bright colours like red, light brown and lemon yellow to depict a more modern style, Pho Trang (Moon Street) uses only black and white to evoke old memories.

Other lacquer works, which portray young and beautiful girls from the ethnic minority groups of H'Mong, Dao Khau and Dao Do, also show impressive use of colour.

Born in Hanoi, Nhan graduated from the Ha Noi Industrial Fine Arts College in 1979 with a degree in lacquer. He now works for the Central Fine Arts Company in Hanoi.

He has organised exhibitions in Vietnam and in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Singapore.

"I love creating with lacquer. I will try my best to introduce the world to a contemporary style of lacquer," said the 52-year-old Nhan.

Nhan said that it's easier for people, particularly children and young people, to understand the art world through a lacquer work.

His work can be seen every day, from 9am to 6pm, at Lotus Gallery, 43 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCM City. It will close on Wednesday.

(Source: Viet Nam News)