Nguyễn Nghĩa Cương (b. 1973, Bắc Ninh) was raised in Đông Hồ village, a town renowned for its woodcut folk paintings dating back to the 11th century, often depicting historical figures, folk allegories, and scenes of social commentary. Immersed in this visual environment from an early age, his sensitivity to color developed in direct response to it. Colors surface unexpectedly: a flush of pink edged into green, gold layered over blue, combinations that might seem garish elsewhere, but here feel deliberate, even familiar. They recall the painted figurines and tò he toys of his hometown, with pigments drawn from the same mineral sources used in vernacular sculpture and folk art.
His practice refrences the cultural heritage of Kinh Bắc (the northern capital region), where centuries-old traditions continue to shape daily life, from village festivals to ancestral offerings and Buddhist rituals. This is the land of quan họ folk songs and pagodas from the Lý dynasty, considered the golden era of Buddhism, which flourished on the historic ground of Luy Lâu. Cuong’s work is largely figurative and expressive, shaped by his immediate surroundings. In summer, he paints lotuses and ducks; on full moon days, five-fruit offerings. When traveling, he documents landscapes always in dialogue with familiar domestic objects. His paintings integrate vernacular imagery with contemporary technique, carrying forward a folk sensibility through formal experimentation. He graduated from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1996.