Taking inspiration from the folklore and romantic landscapes of Vietnam, Nguyen Tu Nghiem shaped the artistic and spiritual ideals of local culture, creating a new expression of modern Vietnamese art.  He adopted the style of Dong Ho folk paintings utilising the defining characteristic of lines to portray scenes from everyday life. The captivating image of a group of children inside the art class engaged in the act of drawing and craft making is encapsulated by the playful interplay of forms and subtle colours. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959-1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.