Born 1973, Bắc Ninh, Vietnam
BFA, Vietnam University of Fine Arts, 1996
Nguyễn Nghĩa Cương was raised in Đông Hồ village, renowned for its woodcut folk paintings dating back to the 11th century. His sensitivity to color developed in direct response to this visual environment from an early age. Hues of pink edged with green, or gold layered over blue, combinations that might appear garish elsewhere, feel deliberate and instinctive in his work. His palette recalls the painted figurines and tò he toys, using pigments derived from the same mineral sources found in vernacular sculpture and folk art. Rooted in the cultural heritage of Kinh Bắc, the northern capital region, his work draws from the rhythms of village life—quan họ folk songs, pagodas from the Lý dynasty, festivals, ancestral offerings, and Buddhist rituals. He paints objects and scenes that remain in dialogue with familiar domestic motifs, sustaining a folk sensibility through formal experimentation.