Buying Vietnamese Art: Four Warnings
Shopping for paintings in Vietnamese galleries can be exciting, fun, and can result in a purchase that will give you a lifetime of pleasure.
You can also get ripped off easily.
Heed the following advice, and you'll be happier in the long-term:
Fakes
It's standard practice for many Vietnamese painters and galleries to copy their canvases, stroke-by-stroke, producing fakes that are sold in Vietnamese and international galleries.
This is a flaw inherent in the Vietnamese art business model, going back to the day when the Hanoi Fine Arts Museum commissioned a number of well-known painters to reproduce works for the museum's collection that were originally sold into private hands.
It's therefore important for you to have the gallery guarantee in writing that the work you're buying is not a copy of another painting, and furthermore, that the gallery will not in any way be involved in recreating the piece you're buying.
Overproduction
Several well-known artists --- and we can think of three in particular --- have overproduced similar paintings to the point that they're becoming commodities, sold in dozens of similar galleries in Hanoi and Saigon.
Tip: We therefore encourage you to visit a minimum of five galleries before you buy anything, so you can gauge the relative rarity of your favorite piece first.
Imitation
Vietnam has some of the world's most talented copyists, who do everything from copying Klimt and Van Gogh to faking the work of traditional and contemporary Vietnamese artists.
Tip: Unless you want to buy an imitation intentionally, we encourage you to avoid galleries that sell imitation art (look for the Warhol in the window).
Chances are, very little will be original there, in terms of Vietnamese art.
Buy at honest galleries
In Vietnam it's possible for things to slip through the cracks (just ask some of the world's major museums).
Tip: We've met the owners of the galleries that have the Recommended indicator, and believe them to be honest about what they're selling.
Bottom line: Have fun, ask questions, and don't be afraid to ask for written documentation, guaranteeing you've bought what you intended.
