Launch of the “Vietnam – Japan Lacquer Road Project”
Hanoi Grapevine officially announces the launch of the Vietnam – Japan Lacquer Road Project, in partnership with TAKI Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), to build a long-term platform for collaboration between Vietnamese lacquer art and Wajima-nuri – one of Japan’s oldest and most celebrated lacquer traditions.
Rather than simply presenting the two craft heritages side by side, the project seeks to create a space for dialogue where artists, artisans, researchers, and communities from both countries can share knowledge, practices, and new approaches to lacquer as a material within a contemporary context. Through research programs, artist residencies, exhibitions, and educational activities, the project aims to help preserve traditional knowledge while opening up new creative possibilities for the next generation.
Project background
Vietnam and Japan each possess distinctive lacquer traditions shaped over centuries, each with its own materials, techniques, and aesthetic language. At the same time, amid the changes of modern society, both are facing shared challenges, such as breaks in the transmission of craft knowledge, shifting consumer markets, and the search for new forms of expression.
Emerging from these points of intersection, the Vietnam – Japan Lacquer Road Project was established as a long-term platform to foster professional exchange, research, and creativity between the two lacquer communities, while sharing the cultural value of traditional craftsmanship with a wider public. Mr. Uchiyama Ken, Executive Officer in charge of IDEAL Company at TAKI Corporation, shared: “This partnership marks our first official framework for cultural exchange with an overseas partner. We hope to bring the planning capabilities and design perspective we have built up in advertising and communications to shaping the future of traditional craftsmanship and its social value. We hope that this dialogue between the lacquer cultures of Vietnam and Japan will become a ‘road’ connecting craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibility for generations to come.”
Project Activities
– Artisan–Artist Exchange: mutual visits and collaborative work between Wajima lacquer artisans and Vietnamese lacquer artists, studio residency programs, technical workshops, and dialogue sessions
– Joint Creation – Exhibitions: creating joint artworks using materials and techniques from both regions, traveling exhibitions in Hanoi and Japan, related talks and public programs
– Academic Collaboration – Research: joint research on the transmission of traditional knowledge, presentations at the Japanese Society for the Science of Design and other venues, co-authored research papers
– Education – Training: programs for students in partnership with universities and educational institutions, mentoring for young artists and artisans
– Archiving – Publishing: documenting the creative process and dialogue, photo and video materials, development of publications and a digital archive
– Spreading Social Value: communications on the contemporary significance of traditional craftsmanship, connecting with post-disaster recovery efforts and local culture (Wajima city, among others), creating opportunities for dialogue between the people of both countries
Implementation Plan
Starting in autumn 2026, both parties plan to carry out the following programs (timing and content are subject to change).
Component 1: Lacquer Research Program for Vietnamese Artists in Wajima (September 2026)
The program will invite three artists/designers whose work involves research on Vietnamese lacquer to Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, to exchange with Wajima lacquer workshops and artisans, take part in technical workshops, and engage in dialogue sessions.
Participating artists:
– Trương Hoàng Hải (artist – lacquer researcher)
– Đinh Công Đạt (sculptor – lacquer artist)
– Trần Thảo Miên (visual artist – Founder of Collective Sonson)
Component 2: Participation in the 2026 Hanoi Creative Design Festival (November 2026)
Taking part in the 2026 Hanoi Creative Design Festival, the project plans to unveil the results of the joint creative work and host public programs. The exhibition will showcase new works/products by the artists and designers who took part in the research program, as well as lacquer products from Wajima. The exhibition will be part of the “Pavilion in the City” (“Đình trong phố”) project, curated by artist Nguyễn Thế Sơn.
About Hanoi Grapevine
Hanoi Grapevine is an independent arts platform operating since 2007, a pioneer in capacity building and in developing an ecosystem that supports arts and culture in Vietnam. Beyond connecting artists, art spaces, and audiences, Hanoi Grapevine also drives international collaboration, research, and residency programs, creating conditions for knowledge exchange and the growth of the creative community.
Within the Vietnam – Japan Lacquer Road Project, Hanoi Grapevine serves as the coordinator on the Vietnam side, connecting artists, artisans, researchers, and training institutions, while developing public programs and exhibitions to bring the project’s outcomes closer to the community.
For further information about the project, please contact [email protected]
