Oil and Lacquer

Professor Minh said, “Vietnamese people, in general, cannot paint in oil. Oil painting is good in America, you guys know how to paint. But, Vietnamese people know lacquer painting, and in all honesty, the medium accommodates the Vietnamese way much more.”

Professor Minh and I conversed for several hours about the process of lacquer painting.

Lacquer painting is done on a very special aged panel that is composed of paint, fabric and wood. The basic materials in this medium are pigment, gold leaf, silver leaf, eggshell, and most importantly, lacquer. This lacquer comes from the sap of a tree called Cay Go Son, which when literally translated, means Wood-paint tree.

Lacquer painting in Vietnamese is called Son Mai, which when literally translated, means Grind Paint. This is actually a more descriptive name for this medium. Lacquer painting involves the multiple layering of paint, silver and gold leaf, and eggshell. When each layer is painted, it must be silver or gold leafed so that the colors can glimmer. If the artist desires, he can also tile eggshell into the painting, which will polish to a very bright white. Each layer of paint must be sealed or hardened in a humid room. The paint will only set when there is hot and humid air around it. After all the layers of paint have been applied, the artist must grind away at the surface until the picture appears. When the artist is done grinding, the painting is buffed and polished by the sweat of his hands.

Think of lacquer as a little bit like archaeology. There is a piece of land, with thousands of years of rock, bone, minerals, and dirt buried beneath it. Over the years these materials change with the weather of the Earth and combine into the land that we know. The archaeologist wants to bring out certain aspects that he finds special in the land. As such, he chips, grinds, and dusts away at the land until he sees what he wants to see. Similarly, the lacquer painter has to grind away at the painting until he sees the forms and the shapes that he desires. The difference is that the lacquer painter is the maker of the land. So, he actually has an idea of what is buried in the land. It is his job, to bring out that image according to his desires.

The core to the structure in lacquer painting is that everything has its origin from the Wood-paint tree. Once a painting is done, it actually starts a life of its own in that, over many years, the colors in the paintings will become brighter and more resonant.

Professor Minh and I concluded our meeting after several cups of tea. He said, “You can’t make lacquer paintings anywhere else but Vietnam. The humidity here allows for it. It is a long process, but be patient, it will be worth it.”