Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh’s Lacquer Painting Style

Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh’s lacquer paintings, such as the celebrated “Thầy Pagoda,” are known for their striking fusion of Vietnamese tradition and modernist sensibilities. His style is defined by a minimal color palette and a focus on emotional depth rather than elaborate adornment. In works like “Thầy Pagoda,” Quỳnh often depicts serene landscapes, utilizing subtle tones of gold and dark backgrounds to evoke both the majesty of nature and intimate cultural memory. The careful construction, often with panels joined together, and the restrained yet powerful use of color invite a deep, contemplative engagement from the viewer.

Challenges and Realities of Creating Lacquer Art

Despite his passion for lacquer art, Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh was limited in how many pieces he could create. Lacquer painting is not only time-consuming—each layer must dry and be meticulously polished before the next is applied—but also expensive, requiring specialized materials and tools. More significantly, during times of war and social turmoil, Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh bore the responsibility of supporting a large family, with one wife and nine children. The demands of daily survival and the need to provide for his loved ones meant he could not dedicate the extensive time, focus, and financial resources that lacquer painting required—even though it was a technique close to his heart.