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Gen Z artists persevere in pursuing lacquer painting.
Duong Linh Dan is a young artist born in 1999 currently living in Hanoi. She graduated from the Painting Department, specializing in lacquer painting, at the Vietnam Fine Arts University with the highest score in her class. Her desire is to share her artwork in the most natural and accessible way, not only through traditional exhibition spaces but also through social media and community projects – where the public can feel, connect, and find themselves reflected in her work.
From a very young age, Linh Dan was passionate about drawing and coloring. Her mother was her first teacher, patiently teaching her to color and distinguish different shades from the age of two. Thanks to her family's support, her artistic path became clearer when she decided to study at the Vietnam Fine Arts University. Throughout her studies, Linh Dan was particularly captivated by the beauty and unique technique of lacquer painting – a medium that requires the artist to be both patient and accepting of randomness. When a painting is polished, the layers of color are revealed in an unpredictable way, creating a great attraction that led her to choose lacquer painting as her major.
Portrait of artist Linh Dan
Personal colors in the world of painting
"Circumstances may make the path more difficult, but no one is at a disadvantage if they know how to see their differences as an advantage. Starting from a unique position, turn it into a distinctive perspective. You don't need to appear strong all the time, just persevere and never give up on yourself," Linh Dan shared.
Visually, Linh Dan's works often feature strong color tones, creating a direct impact. She observes many different artists and painting styles to broaden her perspective, but doesn't confine herself to any particular school. For Linh Dan, the most important thing is to maintain her personal voice in her creative work.
For her, the inspiration for a work can come from many different elements, sometimes a fleeting emotion, other times a vague memory, or an image that leaves a strong impression. She doesn't confine herself to a mold, but lets nature guide the creative process, believing that this is what brings emotional depth to each work.
Each artistic medium opens up a different emotional space for Linh Dan.
One of her most memorable lacquer paintings was created during her final years of university, inspired by the mimosa tree – a wild flower often overlooked. The mimosa, with its mechanism of shrinking when touched, embodies fragility yet enduring vitality, and she chose it as a metaphor for the image of womanhood.
She doesn't seek to idealize female beauty according to stereotypes, but rather portrays an intriguing contrast: both gentle and strong, both tender and possessing a wide range of emotions. Mimosa, in a way, is also a reflection of her own inner feelings. For Linh Dan, hearing impairment is not a major obstacle, but simply a different way of perceiving the world.
Linh Dan grinds paint
Her student memories are intertwined with the sweltering summers in her lacquer painting class. The stifling heat, the demanding technical requirements, and the heavy workload of research and creative assignments made each day a challenge. When applying gold and silver leaf to the paintings, turning on the fan was strictly forbidden, leaving her drenched in sweat under the scorching sun.
The days spent grading assignments were hectic from early morning, sometimes leaving only time for a quick meal of sticky rice or a sandwich at the street corner. Occasionally, internships in rural areas offered her a completely different experience—arduous but also very real and meaningful. Looking back, those were hot, messy, but laughter-filled years of her student life. There's no special secret; she simply focused her entire mind on each assignment, each stage of the creative process. Always striving to absorb the guidance of her teachers and learning from her friends, she maintained a steady and persistent work pace throughout her years of study and achieved the highest scores in her class. For her, consistency doesn't come from luck, but from daily perseverance, in even the smallest tasks.
The artwork "Smiling Flowers" - 2023 was created by Linh Dan.
A genuine dialogue between the artist and the viewer.
Each artistic medium opens up a different emotional space for Linh Dan. With lacquer painting and oil painting, each has its own beauty and challenges. Lacquer painting demands creativity not only in the use of color but also in the technique of polishing the canvas, where randomness plays a crucial role, creating shimmering surfaces and exceptional depth of color.
Oil painting gives Linh Dan more freedom in terms of technique and expression. Conversely, when doing illustration, she focuses more on graphic elements, forms, and clearly conveying the message to the viewer. With illustration, the control over images and ideas is always tighter, because each work is usually associated with a specific audience and a clear communication purpose.
The artwork "Sphere" was completed in 2022.
In the art world, she finds joy, creativity, and inspiration just like anyone else. Instead of focusing on her shortcomings, she always strives to develop her strengths. The image of the woman was once a central symbol in many of Linh Dan's works, used to convey emotions and personal reflections. Currently, her creative process is more spontaneous, not confined to a fixed theme.
For Linh Dan, spreading art is also about opening up sincere dialogues between artists and viewers. Linh Dan's biggest plan is to hold a solo exhibition before she turns 30. Besides that, she also wants to experiment with more new materials and expand her creative possibilities. In the future, she hopes to have the opportunity to participate in public art projects, so that her work can reach a wider audience.
