Watercolor on silk. 19 3/4 x 37 3/4 in., 29 x 48 in. (framed). Tu Duyen was born in 1915 in the Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh. He started his artistic career in Nam Son's workshop (Nguyen Nam Son, 1890-1973). He then studied at the School of Fine Arts of Indochina between 1935 and 1938. When northern Vietnam came under Japanese control, Tú Duyên headed to the south of Saigon in 1942, where he began experimenting painting with wood engraving, using the technique of traditional prints of the Dong Ho village. He created a new technique called "hand-stamped printing". He used both "relief" and "in depth" carving of wooden planks, applying colors with his fingers and then pressing or rubbing his hand. His motifs are not only limited to Vietnamese women but also include historical figures. His masterwork, "Festivals", reveals the intricacy of Dong Hoi's style, allying sweetness and aesthetics of traditional Vietnamese painting transposed through his unique interpretation.

Good condition