| Vietnam is a culturally diversified nation | | | | monasteries, centers, hermitages, the home |
| with 54 ethnic groups with multiple customs | | | | and places of retreat. Contemporary artists |
| and traditions. Although Vietnamese culture | | | | may use traditional or contemporary forms |
| was strongly influenced by traditional | | | | separately or in combination e.g. film, |
| Chinese civilization, the struggle for | | | | sculpture or in painting used together in an |
| political independence from China developed a | | | | installation piece. While there may be a |
| strong sense of national identity in the | | | | deeply felt spiritual context to the work, it |
| Vietnamese people. Nearly 100 years of French | | | | would not necessarily be intended to go in a |
| rule introduced important European elements | | | | monastery, center or temple and would not |
| into the culture of the country, but the | | | | have to be made according to econometric |
| Vietnamese still attach great importance to | | | | recommendations. |
| the family and continue to observe rites | | | | |
| honoring their ancestors, indicating the | | | | Many contemporary artists also use themes |
| persistence of tradition. | | | | such as impermanence, delusion; |
| | | | interdependence, compassion commonly studied |
| The first flourishing of Vietnamese art | | | | in Buddha dharma, and may feel a link with |
| occurred with the emergence of the Dongson | | | | Buddhist ideas without necessarily calling |
| culture on the coast of Annam and Tonkin. The | | | | themselves Buddhists. Contemporary art also |
| inspiration for the magnificent bronzes | | | | assists in viewing the Vietnam War and war |
| produced by the artists of Dongson originated | | | | experience in general through art. It helps |
| from China: the decorative motifs have clear | | | | to forge a link between the common man, |
| affinities with earlier Chinese bronzes. At | | | | soldier, art and history. Contemporary |
| the same time, the exceptional skill of | | | | Vietnamese art focuses on analyzing how art |
| production and decoration argues that these | | | | relates to historical themes and issues, |
| pieces represent among the first and finest | | | | interpreting and understanding art as a tool |
| of Southeast Asian works of art. The period | | | | of communication, synthesizing and |
| during which the central Vietnamese kingdom, | | | | assimilating information from different |
| centered on the Annamite coast was under the | | | | disciplines into demonstrated comprehension, |
| Champa rulers saw the 'golden' period of the | | | | and further developing abstract and critical |
| Vietnamese art and architecture. Valuable | | | | thinking that can be applied throughout the |
| works of Vietnamese Art comprise of the | | | | learning process. |
| historic and treasured form of art executed | | | | |
| on extravagant, fine and delicate silk. | | | | Despite the shortages and censorship of the |
| Created by artists including Le Pho, Mai | | | | war years, quite a bit of world literature |
| Trung Thu and Vu Cao Dam these pieces of art | | | | was carefully translated into Vietnamese and |
| are pristinely preserved. Lacquer practice | | | | widely distributed gradually. This translated |
| has held a major role throughout the history | | | | world literature greatly influenced the |
| of Vietnamese Art, and particularly so in | | | | spiritual life of Vietnam. The small chunk of |
| 20th Century Vietnam, when a new approach, | | | | world literature that was allowed to |
| through color and form, was employed to | | | | circulate in Vietnam during the “years |
| develop this ancestral technique in order to | | | | of the march towards socialism,” the |
| promote it as an aesthete that is unique to | | | | years of heroic warfare” and the |
| Vietnam. | | | | “gloomy immediate post-war |
| | | | years,” had been carefully filtered and |
| Vietnam has longstanding folk traditions. | | | | wrenched from their original contexts. |
| Techniques and styles are often handed down | | | | Efforts of contemporary Vietnam artists have |
| within families from generation to | | | | been successful in reviving the exquisite and |
| generation. Vietnamese Art shows a strong | | | | inimitable elements, not only of erstwhile |
| Chinese influence. Traditional Buddhist art | | | | Vietnam but have also raised some of the |
| forms are very much evident on the sculptures | | | | present-day humanitarian issues. Vietnamese |
| and paintings of Vietnamese artists. These | | | | art has thus taken a stride ahead towards |
| art forms are made to complement and enhance | | | | presenting South-East Asia as a cultural |
| traditional practices found in temples, | | | | patron in the field of global fine arts. |