Young people are reviving silk painting.

Gentle, soft, and feminine are the impressions of the silk paintings by artist Nguyen Thi Hue. In each work, the profound depth expressed seems boundless.

Viewers were captivated.

Experts believe that the main reason for the decline of silk painting is its "short lifespan and difficulty in preservation, which has led to a gradual loss of competitiveness compared to other art forms."

Exhibitions of silk paintings have been very rare recently. The number of silk painters is also dwindling because they cannot make a living from the craft. In this context, the pessimism many people feel about the future of silk painting is certainly well-founded.

Nevertheless, there are still silk paintings that captivate viewers. Having pursued painting for nearly 15 years, silk painting continues to fascinate artist Nguyen Thi Hue with its softness, gentleness, and subtlety. The artist confided: "As a woman, I think painting on silk is the most logical choice. I love the softness and gentleness in the way this material depicts things. This is also a traditional form of Vietnamese painting."

Some silk paintings by artist Trung Dinh

The exhibition "Fragrance" by artist Nguyen Thu Huong is also one of the most impressive exhibitions. She uses hand-woven silk from Quan Pho village, Duy Tien town, Ha Nam province to create paintings that captivate viewers. Nguyen Thu Huong's silk paintings are attractive because of their ability to transform into many styles such as cubism and abstraction. Although the subjects are repeated, they are never the same, often featuring very simple themes such as landscapes, portraits, banyan trees, riverside, shepherds, and village communal houses…

The silk paintings of artist Nguyen Thu Huong show that the material doesn't "constrain" inspiration; on the contrary, it reveals the artist's "essence" to the viewer. Because silk, like lacquer, requires diligence and time, the emotions must be deep and strong enough to complete the creative process of a work.

Continuous innovation

Silk is very familiar to Vietnamese people. But painting on silk and making a living from it has never been easy. However, things are looking promising now as passionate young people are determined to revive silk painting with significant improvements in technique, process, and the artistic value of silk paintings.

Vietnamese silk painting has recently seen the emergence of new artists, themes, expressions, and materials… simultaneously, the perception of silk painting among the community and domestic collectors has also changed in a positive direction (individual and group exhibitions, workshops, book launches on silk painting)…

Artist Nguyen Thi Hue consistently breaks new ground, creatively combining tradition and modernity to breathe new life into silk painting. Her silk paintings are always painted on both sides with multiple layers and various materials, creating both depth and durability.

Artist Trung Dinh has also made efforts to organize workshops, exhibitions, and conduct research on silk painting with the goal of "establishing the brand of Vietnamese silk painting in the global market." Artist Trung Dinh passionately stated: "I want to create a work ecosystem and market for artists pursuing silk painting through education as well as opportunities for international trade."

According to experts, silk painting is an art form originating from East Asia where, instead of painting on paper, artists apply colors and patterns directly onto silk fabric. Traditional silk painting once flourished in countries with long-standing cultures such as Japan, China, and Vietnam. Ancient Vietnamese silk paintings primarily focused on depicting the daily life of the people or portraits.

Insiders say the most outstanding feature of Vietnamese silk painting art is that it has found a unique color palette for silk, using few colors yet creating a richness of hue. The smooth, lustrous silk threads are dyed with such subtlety that they seem to possess fragrance and color, resonating with the profound soul of the Vietnamese people.

While acknowledging that people are turning away from silk painting not because it's not beautiful, elegant, or luxurious, it's clear that silk painting has fallen out of favor due to its outdated style and lack of vibrant, sharp colors compared to many other painting genres. Therefore, experts believe that "to revive silk painting, artists need to change everything from subject matter and painting style to techniques in order to make a living from the profession and bring silk painting back to life."

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