How can artists become catalysts for transcultural learning and creative innovation?
Urushi: exploring the chromacosm showcases the tradition and versatility of urushi, a millenia-old Japanese lacquer tradition that is renowned for its luminosity, elegance, and remarkable durability.
This exhibition features work by Vietnamese-born urushi artist Nhat Tran. It showcases the artist’s creative arc that began with a mastery of prehistoric Japanese lacquer techniques and evolved through bold experimentation with varied materials, such as wood, ceramic, plexiglass, animal skulls, and antlers.
ABout the Artist
Nhat Tran
Nhat Tran is a visual artist specializing in 2-D and 3-D urushi lacquer painting, with a career spanning over three decades. Born in Vietnam, Tran received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Fine Arts in Ho Chi Minh City in 1992 and moved to the United States after graduation. Her artistic journey has been marked by innovation and versatility. She has earned many awards, including best-of-show from the International Art Fair at Santa Fe 2018, the Christel DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award, and twice the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. She was also selected by Art in Embassies (AIE), U.S. Department of State, for a Cultural Exchange exhibition in the U.S. Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam. Her work has garnered international recognition, leading to prestigious public commissions and exhibitions. One of her notable achievements is the creation of a urushi lacquer mural titled “On the Tip of Our Wings” for the Indianapolis International Airport, completed in 2008. Her artworks are featured in several renowned museums across the United States and China, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC; the Corcoran Gallery of Art (now American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center), Washington, DC; the Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis; Richmond Art Museum, Richmond and Hubei Museum of Art, Wuhan, China. In 2024, she was named an awardee in the Hoosier Women Artists competition by the Office of Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor and Indiana Arts Commission. In 2023, Tran became the inaugural recipient of the Indianapolis Creative Risk Fund grant, thanks to which she was able to develop a new set of techniques that allowed her to become the first artist worldwide to have successfully created 3D Jou ki-urushi plexiglass artworks of stunning beauty. Tran’s expertise in urushi lacquer has led to international research opportunities, including at Tokyo University of the Arts and at Kyoto City University of Arts in Japan.
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Plan
Your
Visit
The Frank Museum is located one block east of Uptown Westerville’s vibrant commercial district. Spend an afternoon visiting the museum’s current exhibition, browsing in Uptown’s locally owned shops, and relaxing in our excellent restaurants or coffee establishments. The Frank Museum staff are always available for tours.
Current Exhibitions
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URUSHI: exploring the chromacosm
NHAT TRANFisher GalleryAugust 20 – March 6, 2026EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND! This exhibition features work by Vietnamese-born urushi artist Nhat Tran. It showcases the artist’s creative arc that began with a mastery of prehistoric Japanese lacquer techniques and evolved through bold experimentation with varied materials, such as wood, ceramic, plexiglass, animal skulls, and antlers. -
The Mystery is the Meaning
Louise CapteinMiller GalleryJanuary 6 – March 1, 2026This Sabbatical exhibition features new work by visual artist Louise Captein, which results from a fresh approach to painting and collage that she has been developing over several years. The Mystery is the Meaning installation takes space as a medium and uses stacked grounds to “produce” shapes that result from apertures of every kind. The work reflects Captein’s explorative process related to apperception—of the space without and the space within, and the paper-thin difference between them.