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Bui Ngoc Tu was born in 1936 in the province of Nam Dinh. His early years of education were disrupted by the disturbances of the '40s and '50s, and it was not until much later that he was able to study. He finally graduated from the "Universite des Beaux-Arts" of Hanoi in 1979. Tu works on lacquer and on 'Do' paper, using bright colours and clear definition. The lacquer work is full of symbolism and marked by paradoxes, outer peace offset by latent conflict. The 'Do' paper demands speed of execution, precision and impulsiveness to achieve a different effect. He depicts women admiringly, verging at time on obsession. Tu also depicts aspects of theatre and music, giving free reign to his use of colour. Interwoven often in his work are the themes of life and death, stylised and decorative in their depiction. Tu has provided inspiration to the younger generations of artists, being considered a major influence on the pictorial lacquer technique. Along with Hao and Doan, he is a member of the "Association des Artistes Peintres du Vietnam".