Art for Tết: Vietnamese folk art

Australians Mona Brand and Len Fox lived in Vietnam from 1956 to 1958.

During their time in Hanoi, they amassed a large collection of art, including folk, contemporary and propaganda. After their deaths, the collection of mid-century Vietnamese art was bequeathed to the State Library of NSW.

This display features several pieces from the collection which were most likely acquired during Tết (Lunar New Year), an important holiday for Vietnamese people. Back in the 1950s, it was still common to see these kinds of ephemeral folk art decorating homes in Hanoi to welcome in the new year.