The story behind the 3-ton painting of Uncle Ho that won the Guinness record

Author Chu Nhat Quang received a Guinness record for his large and special painting.

On the afternoon of October 11, at the Ho Chi Minh Museum, a ceremony was held to receive the Guinness World Record for the largest monolithic lacquer painting - "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" by Chu Nhat Quang. The work measures 2.4 x 7.2m, weighs 3 tons and has content on both sides.

A cherished wish from nearly 50 years ago

The first side depicts the moment President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945, with the painter's proud inspiration.

The second side, titled "National Spring," represents the joy of the entire nation on the bridge connecting the past to the present and the future, as the country enters the Spring of Independence - Freedom - Happiness.

"Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" (above) and "National Spring."

The author of the painting is artist Chu Nhat Quang (born in 1995) with the support and companionship of his brother-in-law - artist Nguyen Thanh Tung (born in 1968). According to the sharing, it was artist Nguyen Thanh Tung who inspired Chu Nhat Quang to make a special large-scale, continuous painting of President Ho Chi Minh.

Since the age of 10, every week his parents took him to drawing classes at the Children's Palace. The panels depicting Uncle Ho holding a baby and Uncle Ho waving goodbye have been deeply imprinted in his mind.

He noticed that every few months a scaffolding worker would repaint the painting. He asked his father why he had to repaint so many times and was told that the paint had faded due to the sun and rain. Since then, he has cherished the desire to paint a large, beautiful picture of Uncle Ho and never have to repaint it again.

After the time the two artists lived, studied and worked in Canada and the US, they always nurtured a common love for their homeland, country and leader. From the end of 2019, Chu Nhat Quang began to create the painting.

Author Chu Nhat Quang next to the 3-ton painting that holds the Guinness record. (Photo: Provided by the character)

The two artists' condition was that the painting not only had to be durable, but also had to be made on a single piece. "When Mr. Tung suggested doing a large-scale lacquer painting project on a single piece, I was really excited. Because most large-scale paintings in the past had to be assembled from many small pieces. Made on a single piece, all the lines and artistic intentions would be seamless, consistent and more complete," said Chu Nhat Quang.

To do this, the two artists researched and explored many materials, from wooden airplane wings in the US to wooden ships and drum-making villages in Vietnam, ensuring the wood had a strong structure that could withstand harsh conditions, ensuring a sturdy skeleton for the painting.

After 7 years of research, ideas and persistent implementation, the lacquer painting "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" was born and received recognition today.

The picture is huge in size and significance

Representative of Guinness World Records - Mr. Johnson Austin Clark Herzog commented: "This record was established based on the precise measurement process of independent experts, thereby confirming the total area of the painting is 2.4 x 7.2m. The results show that this is the largest lacquer painting ever made."

Mr. Johnson Austin Clark Herzog presents a certificate to the author of the painting.

The painting weighs 3 tons because it is painted on a wooden background and lacquer has a larger mass than watercolor, oil paintings... on canvas or many other materials. A lacquer painting measuring 60 x 120cm can reach 6-7kg.

Lacquer is often long-lasting, the longer it is kept, the more beautiful it becomes, with a solemn and noble tone. This is also a type of manual art based on the artist's skill, mastery of materials, creative style and emotions after hundreds of hours of creative labor.

Therefore, lacquer paintings are not only beautiful, but also represent the good qualities of the artist, appearing in many works of important cultural and historical value such as Ho Chi Minh Museum, Presidential Palace, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, National Assembly House...

Permanent Vice President of Vietnam Fine Arts Association Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh at the event.

Art researcher Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh (Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association) assessed that having a world record for lacquer painting is a source of pride for Vietnamese fine arts: "This is an opportunity for Vietnamese fine arts to be more widely promoted in the international arena, encouraging the young generation of artists to continue to nurture their creative aspirations and honor national cultural values."

She also said that the record recognition is not only an honor for size, but also affirms the creativity, courage and spirit of daring to overcome limits of Vietnamese artists./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cau-chuyen-sau-buc-tranh-3-tan-ve-bac-ho-dat-ky-luc-guinness-post1069720.vnp