Meet the founders and master artisan who guide your visit
Every workshop in Chuyen My is hosted by our two co-founders and a master artisan with 40 years of hands-on experience in mother-of-pearl inlay and Vietnamese lacquer.
CO-FOUNDER & CULTURAL TOURISM HOST
Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang (Nguyen Thi Thu Trang)
Co-Founder & Cultural Tourism Host in Chuyen My
Co-founder Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang (centre) welcoming young workshop guests in front of the round lacquer plaque wall at Trang Studio.
Born and raised in the craft region of Chuyen My, Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang founded Trang Studio – Lacquer Village after overcoming severe personal and health challenges. Her connection to traditional lacquer work and her hometown artisans inspired her to open a welcoming studio space for travellers.
She hosts guests daily from 08:00 to 18:00 in Chuyen My Commune and developed the studio's bilingual DIY Lacquer Kit so visitors can also practice the craft at home.
“Even the smallest broken piece of eggshell, when placed with care on a wooden board and sealed in lacquer, becomes part of a lasting picture.”
CO-FOUNDER & ART DIRECTOR (SIGNATURE: T.C. DUNG)
Artist Trần Công Dũng (Tran Cong Dung / “Dũng Dị”)
Co-Founder & Art Director — Over 20 years in Vietnamese lacquer painting
Artist Trần Công Dũng in his studio surrounded by natural wood shapes and round lacquer plaques.
Born in 1969 in Tuyen Quang, son of late composer Trần Công Khanh (“Đêm trăng sông Lô”) and a graduate of the Lacquer Department at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, Trần Công Dũng worked across woodcut printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and fine lacquer painting across Hanoi galleries.
As Art Director at Trang Studio, he brings contemporary composition to five traditional materials—wood, river shell, sea snail shell, eggshell, and sơn ta resin—creating the Wooden Lacquer Fish and 12 Zodiac Round Plaque collections signed T.C. DUNG.
“In lacquer art, the size of the panel is not what matters most—it is the honesty of the materials when they enter everyday life.”
Master artisan with 40 years' experience — Your direct instructor at the studio
“After forty years with the chisel and brush, my greatest joy is showing visitors how to feel the crispness of eggshell and wet-polish their own piece to take home.”
Master artisan Nguyễn An Định (right) with co-founder Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang and visitors in front of the Wooden Lacquer Fish wall.
Master artisan Nguyễn An Định has spent more than 40 years working with mother-of-pearl inlay and traditional Vietnamese lacquer in Chuyen My. Over four decades at the workbench, he has produced hundreds of inlaid panels and lacquer works.
During your workshop at Trang Studio, he sits beside you at the table to demonstrate each step: how to trim and place iridescent shell, how to press eggshell into a balanced crackle pattern, and how much hand pressure to use when wet-polishing under water.
STUDIO WORKSHOPS & TAKE-HOME DIY KITS
Hands-on studio workshops in Chuyen My or DIY Kits to make at home
Located in Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi (45–50 minutes from central Hanoi). Small groups of up to 8 guests per session.
Visit Trang Studio – Lacquer Village in Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi
Located in Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village, Hanoi — open daily from 08:00 to 18:00 (Monday – Sunday).
TRANG STUDIO – LACQUER VILLAGE
Trang Studio – Lacquer Village (Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village, Hanoi)
GPS COORDINATES
20.7388171° N, 105.8671163° E
No. 6, Lane 3, Trung Hamlet, Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi (Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village), Vietnam
GETTING HERE FROM CENTRAL HANOI
A 45–50 minute drive south of central Hanoi via National Highway 1A or the Phap Van – Cau Gie Expressway, accessible by private car, taxi, motorbike, or tour coach.
