By Leah Do | Co-Curator & Principal, Leah Do Fine Art Consulting
From October 10 through November 21, 2026, DE SARTHE Gallery in Hong Kong presents Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art, a landmark survey tracing the genesis and maturity of modern Vietnamese painting and sculpture from 1905 to 1960.
Co-curated by Leah Do and Tran Dinh Thuc Doan, the exhibition marks DE SARTHE’s second major institutional-scale survey of the field. Bringing together monumental works by Albert Cézard, Victor Tardieu, Léa Lafugie, Alix Aymé, Joseph Inguimberty, Lê Phổ, Vũ Cao Đàm, Phạm Hậu, Mai Trung Thứ, and Nguyễn Gia Trí, alongside ancient Cham sculptures from the 9th to 12th centuries, the exhibition re-examines a pivotal epoch in 20th-century global art history.
Moving Beyond the Cliché: Transmission as Transformation
Vietnamese modern art has long captivated international collectors with its lyrical elegance and technical virtuosity. Yet, too often, this rich historical movement is reduced to a narrow colonial narrative. As gallery founder Pascal de Sarthe notes:
“Vietnamese modern art has long been admired for its charm. I believe it deserves to be studied for its substance, and to take its place in the wider history of twentieth-century painting alongside the movements it drew upon and transformed.”
In curating Echoes of Tonkin, our objective was to dismantle rigid, linear chronologies. Instead of viewing the formation of modern Vietnamese art purely through the lens of European academic training, the exhibition highlights a profound process of cultural translation: transmission became transformation.
The establishment of the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine in Hanoi in 1924 by Victor Tardieu marked a defining turning point. Under the mentorship of Tardieu, Joseph Inguimberty, and Alix Aymé, a pioneering generation of Vietnamese artists elevated indigenous craft media—specifically silk painting and lacquer (sơn mài)—into ambitious, avant-garde fine art languages. Silk achieved an ethereal translucency and breath; lacquer evolved from decorative application into complex, multi-layered visual depth.
Curatorial Highlights & Historical Depth
Spanning nearly six decades of dialogue between East and West, tradition and diaspora, Echoes of Tonkin presents masterworks from distinguished private collections across Europe and Asia:
- Pre-École Foundations: Albert Cézard’s monumental pair of canvases, Scène du Vietnam (c. 1905)—each standing over two meters tall—conceived as a visual couplet echoing the traditional Vietnamese câu đối.
- Academic Realism with Dignity: Victor Tardieu’s Portrait d’homme (c. 1923), capturing the transition from colonial picturesque scenes to portraits imbued with profound inner dignity.
- Silk Masterpieces: Lê Phổ’s masterwork Le Bol bleu (1930) and the monumental L’illumination de Bouddha (1947), displaying his delicate mastery of gouache on silk.
- Lacquer Evolution: Nguyễn Gia Trí’s Bateaux dans la baie d’Halong (1960) and intricate screens by Phạm Hậu, demonstrating how lacquer became a modern painting medium.
- Ancient Cham Roots: A 9th–10th century sandstone Buddha and an 11th–12th century Ganesha in the Tháp Mẫm style of Bình Định. As art historian Jean-François Hubert reflects in the catalogue foreword, these works serve as “two peonies in a bouquet of roses,” reminding viewers that the art historical lineage of Vietnam spans centuries of indigenous spiritual and cultural layering preceding European presence.
The official digital catalogue can be viewed here: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/910da151a1.html
Critical Reception & International Press
The exhibition and curatorial scholarship have drawn wide acclaim across leading international cultural, art, and market publications:
- Artsy: Official exhibition feature and artwork catalog on the premier global art marketplace platform.
- Ocula: Leading contemporary art platform's exhibition feature and gallery presentation for Echoes of Tonkin.
- Harper's Bazaar Vietnam: In-depth feature highlighting the curatorial dialogue between Leah Do and Tran Dinh Thuc Doan, exploring the historical transformation of silk and lacquer in 20th-century Vietnamese masterworks.
- Couture Troopers: In-depth cultural feature and exhibition overview highlighting Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art at DE SARTHE Hong Kong.
- Meer Magazine: International review celebrating the scholarship, provenance, and historical depth brought to the DE SARTHE survey.
- Doanh Nhân Plus: Comprehensive cultural review examining the enduring historical and artistic legacy of Indochina Modern Art.
- Zolima CityMag: Cultural spotlight on DE SARTHE's presentation and the enduring resonance of Indochina masterworks in contemporary Hong Kong.
- KSCUR: International fine art exhibition listing and curatorial review covering Echoes of Tonkin.
Curatorial Scholarship at Leah Do Fine Art Consulting
At Leah Do Fine Art Consulting, our commercial advisory and private client representation are rooted in this same institutional rigor. Whether assisting established collectors in acquiring rare 20th-century modern masters or curating contemporary works by visionary independent artists worldwide, we prioritize provenance, historical context, and authentic artistic meaning over gallery speculation.
For inquiries regarding Vietnamese Modern Art advisory, private acquisition, or exhibition consulting, please contact us at leah@leahdo.com or explore our Fine Art Advisory Services.