Born in 1912
Birthplace: Phu Luu Village, Tan Hong Commune, Tu Son District, Bac Ninh Province – a region renowned for its rich cultural and historical traditions. He was born into an intellectual family.
Education: He graduated from the 11th Cohort (1936 – 1941) of the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (Indochina College of Fine Arts). His classmates included other legendary artists such as Nguyen Tien Chung and Bui Trang Chuoc.

Before 1945: After graduation, he opened a studio in Hanoi and quickly established a reputation for his exceptional skill in lacquerware.
The Resistance against the French: He enthusiastically joined the revolutionary movement. From 1947 to 1953, he taught at the Resistance Fine Arts School in the Viet Bac war zone, which was headed by the famous painter To Ngoc Van.
Post-1954: After peace was restored in the North, he became a professor at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, dedicating decades to teaching and mentoring generations of artists.
Professional Affiliation: He became an official member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in 1957.

Hoang Tich Chu dedicated his life to researching and innovating within the lacquer medium.

Master of Color: He was a pioneer in expanding the lacquer color palette. Traditionally, Vietnamese lacquer was strictly limited to specific tones like cinnabar red (son), gold, silver, brown, and deep black (then). Hoang Tich Chu successfully introduced shades of green and light blue, breaking long-standing technical barriers.
Composition and Technique: His work seamlessly blends traditional Eastern graphic elements (flat fields of color, stylized forms, and conventional perspectives) with Western modernist principles of shape and composition.
Themes: His paintings often depict the bond between soldiers and civilians, idyllic Vietnamese rural landscapes, ethnic minority women, and the daily lives of workers.

Many of his finest works are permanently displayed at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts:

Mutual Assistance Team in the Highlands (Tổ đổi công miền núi - Lacquer, 1958) – This masterpiece marked a milestone in Vietnamese art history for its revolutionary and successful integration of green tones into lacquer painting.
Uncle Ho Planting Trees with Children (Bác Hồ trồng cây với thiếu nhi - Lacquer, 1971).
Remembering an Evening in the Northwest (Nhớ một chiều Tây Bắc - Lacquer, 1980).
Night in the Rear Area (Đêm hậu phương - Lacquer, 1965).

For his immense contributions to the nation's culture and arts, he was honored with:

The Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Art (2nd Conferment - 2000), the highest academic honor in Vietnam.
The Order of Resistance Against the French (3rd Class).
The Order of Resistance Against the US (2nd Class).
The Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Fine Arts.

Hoang Tich Chu (1912–2003)

Mother's love