The teacher paints pictures using grains of rice.

Driven by a desire to bring the beauty of her homeland closer to art lovers, in 2014, Ms. Tran Thi Hien Triet decided to explore making rice paintings. Her first paintings were simply rice grains arranged to form calligraphic characters written by her mother. Through perseverance, her skills gradually improved, and her creations diversified in theme, gaining popularity among customers.

"My mother is a calligrapher, so she passed on her passion for painting to me. About 11 years ago, with my love for the rice grains of my hometown, I started learning to make rice paintings. When the finished products were sold to many friends, I thought about starting a business with this type of painting," Triet recounted.

Ms. Triet creates rice paintings depicting the buildings and landscapes of Can Tho . PHOTO: DUY TAN

Initially, Ms. Triet created simple paintings depicting her homeland, countryside, calligraphy, and primarily handcrafted works. Later, as customer demand increased, especially from businesses and foreign tourists, she explored and improved her techniques, adding digital and colored rice paintings. To showcase the beautiful scenery and unique cultural features of Can Tho to visitors, Ms. Triet created paintings of the Can Tho Bridge, pedestrian streets, and the Hung Vuong Temple, among others.

As the Secretary of the Youth Union at the Southern College of Mechanical Engineering and Agriculture , Ms. Triet advised the Board of Directors on organizing exchange programs and inspiring students to start businesses ; coordinated support for students with startup ideas and products to participate in startup festivals, exchange programs, and exhibitions; and organized visits to economic and startup models. Simultaneously, she taught painting and created jobs for some students.

The countryside of the Mekong Delta is depicted by Ms. Triet using grains of rice. PHOTO: DUY TAN

The serene beauty of the Mekong Delta's waterways is captured in Triet's rice paintings. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Tran Anh Nguyet, a 12th-grade student at the Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center in O Mon District (Can Tho City), said: "When Ms. Triet learned that I liked making rice paintings, she dedicated four sessions to teaching me. After class, I go to her workshop to make paintings or take them home to work on. With the wages I receive, about 1 million VND per month, I have extra money to cover my daily living expenses and tuition."

Ms. Triet's rice paintings sell for between 175,000 and 2.2 million VND per piece, depending on the intricacy and materials used. She sells over 50 paintings each month, bringing her an additional income of nearly 20 million VND per month. To expand her market, she has launched her rice paintings on e-commerce platforms. In the future, she plans to innovate her family's business model by selling painting materials and offering instruction in rice painting, making it more accessible to a wider audience.

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