Nguyen Thi Mai

The works by the Vietnamese artist who combines archaic and modern elements in an art form that can be called spiritual and na´ve

Nguyen Thi Mai (1966) is a self-taught artist based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.She works mainly with acrylic painting and lacquer painting, although she is also experienced with oil on canvas, silk painting and ink painting.

Lacquer painting is a traditional Vietnamese art form, with the painting done on wooden boards. However, Nguyen Thi Mai has given this traditional art form a new twist with her own unique technique.

It is usual for lacquer paintings to have a glossy finishing. However, with her technique, MaiÆs lacquer paintings have a matte finishing. Thus the term ôunpolished lacquer paintingö. The matte look has given her lacquer pieces a very subtle and refined look, not found elsewhere on the market.

ôAs a self taught artist, I am very much influenced by the visions I see, the melodies I hear and my deep appreciation for tradition and