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Teacher tells story of red-crowned crane with cajuput bark painting

Over 3,000 paintings made from cajuput bark have been completed by teacher Nguyen Van Canh (56 years old) over the past 10 years to tell the story of the red-crowned cranes.

Báo Thanh niênBáo Thanh niên30/06/2025

From childhood memories of red-crowned cranes

Born and raised near Tram Chim National Park, the childhood memories of teacher Nguyen Van Canh (art teacher at Phu Duc Primary School, Phu Duc Commune, Tam Nong District, Dong Thap ) are associated with sunsets with his friends going to the fields, watching flocks of red-crowned cranes flying. That image is deeply imprinted in his mind and became an endless source of inspiration when he entered the teaching profession.

Thầy giáo kể chuyện sếu đầu đỏ bằng tranh vỏ tràm- Ảnh 1.

Over the past 10 years, Mr. Canh has created over 3,000 red-crowned crane paintings using cajuput bark in many different genres and sizes.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

In 2014, teacher Canh started creating collages, but instead of using regular paper, he chose cajuput bark. "I want to create works of art that reflect the identity of Dong Thap, where there are cajuput forests and cranes, two images that have been ingrained in my soul since I was a child," said teacher Canh.

The first painting he made was of a flock of red-crowned cranes, with the desire to introduce to students and tourists the vivid and familiar beauty of this rare bird species.

Thầy giáo kể chuyện sếu đầu đỏ bằng tranh vỏ tràm- Ảnh 2.

From a thick sheet of bark peeled off an ancient cajuput tree, about 200 layers of natural paper can be separated, each layer has a different color.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

To make paintings, Mr. Canh has to go deep into the forest to find ancient cajuput bark. He carefully peels off each thin layer of bark, sometimes up to hundreds of layers, with a rich natural color palette: moss green, white, pink, gray, black...

"Each color is a trace of time and nature. The shell on the sunrise side is moss green, the layer directly exposed to the early morning sunlight is sunburned and white, and the black color is due to the effects of long-term weathering," he explained.

Thầy giáo kể chuyện sếu đầu đỏ bằng tranh vỏ tràm- Ảnh 3.

When separated, each layer of cajuput bark has a different color, from black, gray, white, moss green to pink.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

With about 2 square meters of cajuput bark, the teacher can create 10 large paintings (0.8 x 1m) or dozens of small paintings. Unused pieces of bark are used to make small paintings, not wasting anything.

To unique cajuput bark paintings

Mr. Canh said that each work requires meticulousness and artistic inspiration. From classifying the shell colors, preparing the background to creating shapes and layouts, everything is done by hand. "You have to have inspiration to do it, I can't produce it industrially," he confided.

Thầy giáo kể chuyện sếu đầu đỏ bằng tranh vỏ tràm- Ảnh 4.

Each picture is a story about red-crowned cranes.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

In particular, the process of creating the crane shape is the most difficult and time-consuming. It requires skillful hands and a keen eye to not only recreate the shape but also convey the "crane's soul", pride and elegance into each tearing and pasting stroke.

Two of his most prominent works are "Crane Calling Spring" and "Dance in the New Sunshine". Both were recognized as 3-star OCOP products of Dong Thap province in 2022, certifying the creativity and unique cultural value of local products.

Mr. Canh’s paintings are increasingly well-known and are often ordered as gifts and souvenirs for domestic and foreign tourists. Each painting costs from 100,000 VND to 3 million VND, depending on size and detail. The largest order he has ever received was 100 small paintings for an event.

Thầy giáo kể chuyện sếu đầu đỏ bằng tranh vỏ tràm- Ảnh 5.

The paintings of cranes in Tram Chim National Park are vividly and beautifully recreated by teacher Canh.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

Not only an artist, Mr. Canh is also a person who inspires passion. He has created conditions for students to earn extra income by participating in cutting and pasting pictures with a salary of 5,000 - 10,000 VND per picture. Thanks to that, many students have extra money to pay for their tuition. In the near future, he plans to open a free vocational training class for young people who are passionate about this special type of folk painting.

From the dry bark of trees, Mr. Canh has "breathed life" into vivid paintings of red-crowned cranes, imbued with the identity of the Western region. Not only that, he is also the one who preserves the memories of Tram Chim and inspires the love of nature and homeland for the younger generation, a quiet but meaningful artistic journey.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thay-giao-ke-chuyen-seu-dau-do-bang-tranh-vo-tram-18525063009292408.htm


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