Lacquer painting 'Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence' awarded Guinness World Record

Photo caption — Painter Chu Nhat Quang received a Guinness World Record for his work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" as "The largest monolithic lacquer painting". Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA

At the ceremony, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh shared that the painting “Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence” was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records Organization as the world’s largest unassembled lacquer painting, which is a special and proud event. Because this is the first time a Vietnamese lacquer work has been recognized by the Guinness World Records, and also the first time the Guinness World Records has set a record for lacquer painting. It is not only the honor of the author and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, but also the pride of the whole nation.

In the flow of national culture, painting is a mirror reflecting the soul and aspirations of the Vietnamese people. From Dong Ho folk paintings to modern creations introduced in many exhibition spaces at home and abroad, Vietnamese fine arts have contributed to preserving memories, conveying values, and nurturing the souls of many generations. Lacquer is a unique feature, the crystallization of Vietnamese patience, meticulousness, and intelligence. The work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" recognized by Guinness is not only a record in size, but also a recognition of special significance for Vietnamese lacquer art, contributing to promoting more widely the value of national fine arts, encouraging the team of painters to continue to create, spreading the good values of Vietnamese culture to international friends.

The reproduction of the image of “Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence” - the most sacred moment in the nation’s history using traditional lacquer material and recognized by the Guinness World Records Organization once again affirms the connection between history, culture and creativity of the Vietnamese people. This is not only an encouragement but also opens up an opportunity for Vietnamese art to continue to spread and be recognized as worthy in the flow of human art, Ms. Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh emphasized.

A representative of the Guinness World Records Organization confirmed: Painter Chu Nhat Quang has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records Organization as the owner of the world's largest lacquer painting. This record was established based on the precise measurements of independent experts, thereby confirming the total area of the painting and the results showed that this is the largest lacquer painting ever made.

Previously, the Ho Chi Minh Museum coordinated with the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the Vietnam Global Commodity Exchange Joint Stock Company (Vietcom) to organize the Guinness World Record certification for the work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" with the participation of relevant agencies. On September 3, the Guinness World Records officially recognized the large-scale lacquer work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" by artist Chu Nhat Quang as the largest continuous lacquer painting in the world. The painting measures 2.4m x 7.2m, is more than 17m2 wide, weighs 3 tons, and is completed on a two-sided continuous canvas (not joined). The front side recreates the historic moment of September 2, 1945 at Ba Dinh Square, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The back side is titled “National Spring”, symbolizing the joy, aspiration for peace and happiness of the Vietnamese people.

Sharing about the process of creating and completing the work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence", young artist Chu Nhat Quang said that he started working on the work in 2019, with the special support of his family, especially his brother-in-law - artist Nguyen Thanh Tung in researching materials, the creation process and testing recycled materials into lacquer. Over the course of 6 years, artist Chu Nhat Quang accumulated historical documents, coordinated with many experts to find a new direction, combining traditional and modern materials. It was an arduous process, requiring the artist to strictly adhere to lacquer techniques to create a large-scale, monolithic work, with precise details from architecture, background to artifacts...

The work was completed on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, September 2nd. He introduced it in the exhibition “Independence Spring” at the Ho Chi Minh Museum (Hanoi) along with 16 other lacquer paintings. The work is currently on display at the Museum for visitors.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/buc-tranh-son-mai-bac-ho-doc-tuyen-ngon-doc-lap-duoc-trao-ky-luc-guinness-the-gioi-20251011175801025.htm