Lotus color on silk

By choosing the lotus as the central image for many of her silk artworks, Tran Thao has captivated not only domestic tourists but also aims to promote the pure and gentle beauty of Vietnamese lotuses to the world. Every soft line of the leaves, every delicate detail of the flower – Thao breathes life into the silk with her love for nature and her homeland.

These are the initial brushstrokes of the lotus flower.

Touch silk - touch the soul.

Tran Thao, a girl from Linh Son ward, began her passion for silk in 2018. While a student at the Central University of Arts Education, in an academic environment where modern materials like oil paint and acrylics were the preferred choices of most of her peers, Thao quietly chose silk.

For Thảo, silk is not just a traditional material; when held in the hand, it feels soft, supple, and utterly captivating.

It is precisely this delicate nature that presents numerous challenges in color control, requiring those who wish to paint on silk to be patient, meticulous, and subtle in every brushstroke. Through those initial hesitant days, Thảo developed a special love for silk and nurtured that love throughout her artistic journey.

To master silk painting, Thảo understood that the most important thing was to understand the material itself. Painting on silk therefore requires intense concentration because each brushstroke must be absolutely precise; otherwise, the colors will smudge, fade, and there will be no opportunity to correct mistakes. This is what fueled Thảo's passion, making her listen, understand, and cherish each silk thread and each shade of color.

It is precisely this fragility and defiance that makes Thảo love and want to conquer that unique soul and spirit.

Tran Thao pays meticulous attention to every brushstroke.

Through many clumsy initial experiments and numerous flawed products, Thảo gradually developed her own unique style in her silk paintings.

Silk gradually became like a confidant to Thảo, gentle yet profound, challenging yet inspiring. It's not just a material, but an artistic path she has chosen with all her heart, a path that is not easy, but always leads to subtle and deep emotional realms.

Lotus blossoms on silk

Once she had mastered the technique of painting on silk, Thảo suddenly discovered a symbol that truly moved her: the lotus flower.

It's no coincidence that this flower is associated with the Vietnamese soul—pure, proud, and full of resilience. The lotus rises from the mud, retaining its unique beauty, gentle yet not weak, noble yet not distant. And silk, with its smooth texture, becomes the ideal material for Thảo to express her feelings about that beauty.

Each silk lotus painting by Tran Thao is not simply an image, but an expression of mood, memory, and the feelings of a soul who loves painting.

Each lotus petal seems to breathe, each brushstroke whispers, not noisy, but powerful enough to make viewers pause, listen, and feel. Therefore, the young artist Tran Thao painted the lotus on silk not only with her eyes but also with her emotions, allowing viewers to perceive the breath of the lotus, not just its shape or color.

For each lotus-on-silk product, Thảo spends 1-2 days perfecting, meticulously crafting, and breathing life into the silk lotus.

Thao 's silk paintings are not confined to traditional frameworks because she has experimented with bold color combinations, bringing modern light into classic compositions. The silk paintings therefore possess a look that is both classic and fresh, like a bridge between tradition and modernity.

Not content with just simple silk paintings , Tran Thao boldly applied silk painting to handicraft products such as silk scarves, fabric bags, silk-bound notebooks, handmade greeting cards, and ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress).  

Each product is a small "piece" from larger works, skillfully crafted to preserve the artistic essence while maintaining high practical application.

The journey of lotus silk

The lotus-patterned ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) has won the hearts of many tourists.

Originating from Thai Nguyen province, Tran Thao's lotus silk products have become widely known and loved through social media.

A small shop selling Thao's products in Hanoi's Old Quarter attracts many tourists. Na Ki Hong, General Director of Samsung Electronics Vietnam, was so delighted after touching the lotus silk that he chose it as a gift for his relatives after his business trip and vacation in Vietnam.

Mr. Na Ki Hong shared: "The softness of the silk combined with the pink lotus color captivated me, and I'm sure my family will love this gift too. Silk is soft and delicate, yet durable over the years, while the lotus grows from muddy water, still exuding a pure fragrance. Just like the Vietnamese people, simple yet resilient, hardworking yet maintaining their unique beauty, unpretentious but profound ."

Ms. Phuong Linh, the owner of a shop in Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi – where a small corner is dedicated to displaying Thao's lotus silk products – said: "Many people visit the shop to admire the beauty of the lotus silk made by this young girl from Thai Nguyen. Most people really like it and share the feeling that Thao's lotus silk has a soul, as if it contains so many stories of Thao. People say that the silk is telling the dreams of the person who created the lotus silk products."

Each lotus silk product is priced from 1.5 million to 3 million VND, depending on the difficulty, meticulousness, and sophistication. Therefore, for Tran Thao, the fact that foreigners appreciate Vietnamese silk products is not only an economic opportunity but also a source of pride in contributing a small part to spreading Vietnamese culture. This is the motivation that drives Thao to always strive to maintain traditional techniques in every step – from selecting silkworm silk, processing the base, mixing natural colors to each brushstroke – so as not to "dilute" the spirit of the art.

Amidst the delicate threads of silk, Tran Thao and other silk enthusiasts are weaving a new future for Vietnamese silk painting with all their passion, talent, and belief in the enduring value of national culture.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/dat-va-nguoi-thai-nguyen/202509/sac-sen-tren-lua-40c34f5/