Nguyen Gia Tri

Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-1993) was a Vietnamese painter regarded as one of the Four Masters of modern Vietnamese art and the artist most responsible for elevating lacquer painting into a fine art form, layering the traditional medium to achieve depth and illusion beyond its decorative origins. Earlier in his career he drew political and social cartoons critical of French colonial rule, creating the recurring characters Xa Xe and Bang Banh for Vietnamese magazines.