Vu Cao Dam

Vu Cao Dam was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1908.

As a youth, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, and graduated from there in 1931. After graduating, he moved to Paris where he received a scholarship to study sculpture, but soon afterward he started painting.

In Paris, he painted for eighteen years. Eventually, Vu Cao Dam left Paris to travel to the South of France where he continued painting. He focused on painting women alone, women with children, and women with horses.

He had a very distinctive style which blended both Occidental and Asian techniques. His paintings were very colorful, using many different shades of pastel-like colors: light blue, rose, pink, and gradations of white. He primarily used black for eyes and hair.

During his time in the south of France Vu Cao Dam also became a friend of Marc Chagall, who influenced his work. At this time his work also became influenced by painters such as Matisse and Bonnard. In 2000 Vu Cao Dam died in France.