All of us carry a trace of our origin in our expression. I was born in Viet Nam, where I lived all of my youth. Ten years of academic training in drawing and a belief in Buddhism established my foundation. Since my arrival in the US, a land of discovery, my existence has grown more complete and complex. I have found a special substance that gives me the sense of communing both with my eastern past and with my adopted western culture: it is urushi lacquer, an ancient organic medium that flows ... view more »
Artist Medium: Visual Arts; urushi lacquer
Tran creates abstract urushi paintings and sculpture with organic and geometric shapes, rich surface patterns, and unusual textures that reflect contemporary trends. Urushi, the Japanese term for lacquer, is extracted from the sap of an Asian tree, clarified to transparency, and mixed with pigments to yield a variety of colors.
$1,000-$20,000
Indianapolis Airport Authority Commission of a large urushi lacquer mral, “On the Tip of Our Wings” installed in the fall of 2008; Recognition by the City-County Council of the City of Indianapolis, IN through Special Resolution no 13, 2006; Best of Show, IDADA annual membership show 2006; two time Arts Council Creative Renewal Fellow.
