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Oct 84 min read

Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000): A bridge between East and West

Updated: Oct 29

Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000) is a name that resonates at the crossroads between Vietnam, his native land, and France, his adopted home. A painter, sculptor and ceramist, he left his mark on the art world with a unique style that fused Eastern traditions with Western techniques. A look back at the career of a creator with a multifaceted identity.



Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000), Idyll, oil on panel, 1956, appraised by Gauchet Art Asiatique for Millon auction house, sold for €34,000.


Born in Hanoi in 1908, Vu Cao Dam belongs to a generation of Vietnamese artists who have made their mark on the international art scene. He was one of the first students at the famous Indochina School of Fine Arts, founded in 1925 by the French artist Victor Tardieu. This school, a pioneer in the training of artists in South-East Asia, aimed to blend local artistic know-how with that of the West. Vu Cao Dam soon distinguished herself through her talent. His early works showed strong roots in Vietnamese cultural traditions, while incorporating the influences of European modernism.


In 1931, a grant enabled him to leave Hanoi to continue his training in Paris. This departure marked a decisive turning point in his career. Settling in the French capital, he became close to a group of Asian artists, alongside masters such as Le Pho and Mai Trung Thu, both painters who had also graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts. Together, they helped to define contemporary Asian art.



Vu Cao Dam surrounded by Lê Phô and Mai-Thu at Vu Cao Dam's silk painting exhibition at the Van Dyck Gallery, Paris, 1946 © Archives Alain Le Kim


On his arrival in France, Vu Cao Dam became particularly interested in sculpture. For several years, he studied classical sculpture in the studio of Antoine Bourdelle, himself a disciple of Auguste Rodin. Influenced by these teachings, the artist turned to bronze sculpture, and his early works show a great sensitivity to human forms, often inspired by the gentleness and finesse of Buddhist and Confucian traditions.


However, in the 1940s, faced with a shortage of materials during the Second World War, Vu Cao Dam gradually abandoned sculpture in favour of painting. It was then that his career took on a new dimension. Inspired by the grace and elegance of female figures, his paintings reveal a subtle palette of colours, dominated by pastel tones. Her subjects, often Vietnamese women in ao dai (traditional dress), as well as enchanting landscapes, offer a poetic and nostalgic vision of an idealised Vietnam.



Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000), Woman in Blue, oil on silk, 1939, Spain, conserved at the fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober

Vu Cao Dam's work is characterised by a delicate fusion of East and West. Her portraits of women and scenes of daily life incorporate the characteristics of traditional Asian art: fine lines, elegant simplicity and spiritual depth. Yet these works are also rooted in modernist aesthetics, notably through the use of Western perspectives and a freer approach to composition.


In his works, Vu Cao Dam demonstrates a remarkable mastery of the lacquer technique, specific to Vietnamese culture, as well as oil painting, which he practises with virtuosity. His style is recognisable by its refinement, gentleness and attention to detail. The characters in his paintings, often imbued with melancholy, seem to float in a timeless universe where reality and reverie meet.


After the war, Vu Cao Dam settled in the south of France, in Nice, where he found a setting conducive to his creativity. The luminous landscapes of the Côte d'Azur influenced his palette, which became more luminous and vibrant. It was here that he produced some of his most striking works. His paintings, rich in this cultural duality, appeal to art lovers the world over. His exhibitions, both in France and abroad, have met with growing success.



Vu Cao Dam (1908 - 2000), Rencontre, oil on canvas, 1964, appraised by Gauchet Art Asiatique for Millon, sold for €37,000


Vu Cao Dam has left a priceless legacy in the art world. His works can now be found in numerous public and private collections, from Parisian galleries to Asian museums. His paintings continue to captivate with their timeless elegance and their ability to bridge two worlds, two cultures. Over the decades, he has become one of the most respected Vietnamese artists on the international scene.


Vu Cao Dam died in 2000, leaving behind a prolific body of work that continues to inspire. His career bears witness to a constant search for balance between the ancestral traditions of his native country and the artistic contributions of the modern West. He is the embodiment of this dialogue between two civilisations, a bridge between two worlds.


To find out more about Vu Cao Dam and other artists, you can consult our glossary of artists, where you will find additional information about his career and work.


At Gauchet Art Asiatique, we are experts in Vu Cao Dam's work. If you would like to appraise, sell or acquire a work by this artist, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will put our expertise at your disposal to value your pieces and assist you in all your artistic and commercial endeavours.




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