In Xu Doai (Ba Vi commune, Hanoi), a land rich in cultural heritage, there is a unique family whose three generations have each left indelible marks on Vietnamese art.

Painter and People’s Artisan Chu Manh Chan infused lacquer paintings with the soul of northern villages. His son, Meritorious Artist Chu Luong, revived and globalized Vietnamese water puppetry.

And his grandson, painter Chu Nhat Quang (known as Chu Quang), recently set a Guinness World Record with the world’s largest monolithic lacquer painting depicting President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence.

Chu Manh Chan – the teacher of northern craft villages

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People's Artist Chu Manh Chan.

Born in 1932 in Chang Son (Thach That, Hanoi), Chu Manh Chan was orphaned young yet driven by passion for art. He trained at the National School of Fine Arts, where he mastered lacquer under great teachers. Over decades, he became a versatile artisan, teaching lacquer, embroidery, sculpture, and metalwork, earning the reputation of “teacher of northern craft villages.”

In 2021, at age 89, he held the exhibition Land of Memories, showcasing 28 lacquer works capturing fading images of rural Vietnam – moss-covered temples, ancient bridges, and vibrant markets. Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu described him as “a man who walks through time to restore forgotten beauty.”

He also holds a record as the only Hanoi painter to paint a portrait of Empress Nam Phuong in 1950.

Chu Luong – bringing water puppetry to the world

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Meritorious Artist Chu Luong.

If Chu Manh Chan preserved village life in lacquer, his son, Meritorious Artist Chu Luong, carried Vietnamese culture abroad through puppetry.

Born in 1960, he dedicated his life to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where he served as director. He not only revived fading traditional puppet plays but also made water puppetry vibrant and engaging for international audiences.

In the 1990s, when the art form was waning, he and his colleagues performed in Hoan Kiem Lake to win back audiences. Later, he took water puppetry across the globe, from Japan to France, where its charm astonished viewers unfamiliar with this art of the rice culture.

In 2003, he set a national record by exhibiting 1,000 puppets in the installation The Human World at Hanoi University of Fine Arts. For him, puppetry embodies the joy and optimism of the Vietnamese spirit. Even in retirement, he continues to innovate, ensuring the art retains its playful, life-affirming essence.

Chu Quang – innovating lacquer for a new era

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Painter Chu Quang.
Photos: Courtesy of family

The third generation, painter Chu Quang, was born into a household where puppetry and lacquer painting were ever-present. Fascinated by mythical creatures as a child, he later studied applied design in Australia at RMIT (Melbourne), blending Eastern traditions with Western modernity.

His monumental lacquer painting President Ho Chi Minh Reading the Declaration of Independence, measuring 2.4 x 7.2 meters and weighing 3 tons, now displayed at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest monolithic lacquer painting in the world.

In his art, Quang uses traditional lacquer techniques to portray both simple still lifes and contemporary themes, merging old and new into a fresh visual language.

From Chu Manh Chan’s village memories, to Chu Luong’s living puppetry, to Chu Quang’s record-breaking lacquer, the Chu family exemplifies a rare artistic lineage, each generation creating records while upholding Vietnamese cultural identity.

“Art for us is not only a career but a responsibility to preserve and pass on,” said Chu Quang. “Whether in lacquer or puppets, our works all share the same heartbeat: love for the nation’s culture and its simple, enduring beauty.”

Together, their message is clear: when nurtured with love, national art never fades into oblivion.

Tinh Le