Born in Vietnam and currently living in France, Hoa Vu blends influences from both cultural worlds, combining the ancient Vietnamese art of lacquer with more modern European influences of non-figurative, abstract expressionism. While his art is firmly based in his ancestral past, life in France has lent a freedom of emotionality, color, and form to his work, leaving him to merge styles both Asiatic and Occidental to create an entirely new artistic technique. Using the traditional technology of lacquer (long considered a national secret within Vietnam), he is able to ground a contemporary approach within the rich legacy of his cultural heritage.
Vu’s paintings are bold yet surprisingly earthy, with almost primitive forms reset in abstract expressions. New colors mixed using natural pigments are introduced across the canvas, and it is these dynamic hues that add such richness to his work. Yet what makes Vu’s paintings so compelling is the emotional language unearthed in his compositions, colors, and forms, inviting the viewer to reconnect with the primal roots we all share.