Swinging with bamboo paintings

Nguyen Thai Vinh was born in 1972 in Ha Nam province . He moved to the South of Vietnam at a very young age. He experimented with many painting styles and materials. His most memorable works for the public are his paintings of bamboo.

Artist Nguyen Thai Vinh next to his artwork.

His bamboo painting of President Ho Chi Minh won the gold medal at the Vietnam Star Awards at the Hue Festival in 2004. Many other paintings he created of world leaders, natural landscapes, etc., also surprised the public and foreign tourists with their vividness and realism on the bamboo medium.

The artist and the painting being painted.

He currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City and continues to dedicate himself to painting bamboo artwork.

"Bamboo painting" is the name he gave to the art form he pursues. Could he elaborate on the process of creating a bamboo painting?

Painting on moving bamboo is completely different from painting on fixed materials like paper or canvas. When creating on bamboo, the artist can perceive the lines and colors moving and appearing subtly in the swaying of the bamboo strands. However, this also presents a challenge for the artist in completing the artwork.

For example, to create a painting measuring 2 x 2 meters, I need more than 10,000 bamboo tubes. The bamboo tubes must be smooth and feel much cooler to the touch than other types of bamboo.

The first, and most difficult, step is to find straight bamboo stalks. Then, scrape off the bark, cut them into evenly sized straight sections 6 cm long and 3-5 mm in diameter. Then, dry these bamboo sections in the sun. Only after drying can they be strung together into chains.

Then I began to paint. Painting on bamboo requires the artist to use both hands simultaneously, because only then can the bamboo painting be viewed from both sides, whether front or back, still conveying vibrancy and realism, awakening the viewer's senses. The eyes can see, the hands can touch, and the ears can hear the rustling and movement of each bamboo segment strung together. The challenge is that within those more than 10,000 bamboo segments, the painting remains vibrant in every color, every moment, every detail, and the overall picture. Only by observing the artist at work can one truly appreciate the meticulous effort involved in this art form.

Foreign friends who are passionate about bamboo paintings visited the studio.

Which works particularly impressed him during his creative process?

I have a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh painted in oil, also displayed on a bamboo screen, measuring 100 x 170 cm.

I created this painting in 2002, which was also when I first began exploring the field of bamboo painting. During the creation process, the emotions and lingering feelings I experienced as my hands interacted with the colorful and moving bamboo joints in the light have stayed with me ever since. Therefore, this work holds profound value for me. It doesn't have commercial value; it holds the value of experience and reverence for the subject I painted. When I brought this painting to Hue, my only wish was to exhibit it for the Festival and then donate it to the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The painting won the gold prize at the Vietnam Star competition at the Hue Festival in 2004.

After painstakingly experimenting with bamboo paintings and achieving success, did he ever want to expand this art form and bring it to the market?

Twenty years ago, I owned a workshop producing bamboo blinds for export to the US and European markets, and an art gallery in Ho Chi Minh City. However, due to the shrinking supply of raw materials from bamboo gardens in Cu Chi, Long An, etc., the workshop's operations have decreased.

There were times when I felt discouraged because of the many difficulties and challenges in keeping the passion for this type of painting alive. But it was my friends and those who love Thai Vinh bamboo paintings who kept coming to me and commissioning my work that motivated me to overcome the difficulties.

For over 20 years, I've had a dream: to hold an exhibition of bamboo art, aiming to introduce international friends to the true values ​​of this unique art form, found only in Vietnam. I hope to bring my works to more young people as a way to inspire cultural appreciation for bamboo – a plant deeply intertwined with the soul and life of the Vietnamese people.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dung-dua-cung-tranh-truc-185250308202155867.htm