Artist Luong Minh Hoa meticulously grinding the layers of paint on the body. He tilted the picture under the sunlight, pleased to see the ancient motifs in Hang Trong folk paintings appear sparkling to adorn the cat that was gradually appearing.
The ancients played the picture of Ngu Ho (Hang Drum) on the occasion of the New Year to send their dreams of peace in the five directions. Today, the artist creates a set of Cat Than Tai paintings, also with 5 traditional colors but with a modern approach, to “blow” into it a fresh spirit, giving art lovers a new perspective. Exciting about the coming of Spring.
Using folk painting technology
I come to the workshop Latoa Indochine by painter Luong Minh Hoa in the last days of the year. Under his creative hand, cats appear one after another on the lacquer background. Chain colors (red), royal (gold), black (black), white (white), green (blue) stand out on the background of glittering gold and silver. The five-color painting representing the five elements is loved by families and chosen to hang in the house during Tet.
Cat paintings have folk influences but are created in a modern way. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)The artist designs the graphics on the computer, prints it on paper, and then uses titanium white powder to paint the body (a wooden board used to carve pictures) like how people use carbon paper. After that, he meticulously cut and carved pictures on the body to create strokes for the paintings. The next stage is to paint the color, layer after layer. At this point, the colors are overlapping and the cat is no longer visible.
The most important step of the composition process is to use water and sandpaper to sharpen the painting. This is when the artist is highly concentrated. The goal is to grind away the layers of color so that the image in the picture gradually appears. Where to grind less, where to grind more, to keep any color… are the artist’s intentions. Finally, gold and silver paint for the picture to brighten up the hopeful colors of Spring.
Between the above stages, the artist must constantly dry the painting, incubate the painting at a reasonable temperature and humidity to help the color stick to the body, and then dry it so that it can be sharpened.
Each painting of Dong Ho, Hang Trong and Kim Hoang is sketched by the artist, using the technology of concave engraving in detail to create black strokes like traditional paintings. In that way, the artist can take advantage and combine all three traditional lines of paintings, namely lacquer, engraving and folk paintings, bringing uniqueness and modernity to the work.
According to artist Luong Minh Hoa, folk paintings are impressive in their content deeply reflecting the spiritual and material life, and skilled artisans portray the workers’ millennial dream of a harmonious family life. prosperity, happiness, about a fair and good society. In terms of materials, woodcut paintings are rich in aesthetic image expression, while lacquer paintings are heavy on depth.
“The forefathers created and summed up the art of making competitions, so why don’t we take advantage of it by combining the strengths of those lines together,” the artist shared.
Of course, to combine those elements is not simple. According to painter Luong Minh Hoa, if it is too small, the work will become fine art, and if it is too free, it will be like printing graphics on wood, not exuding sophistication and bringing new emotions.
[Tranh dân gian: Từ thú chơi ngày Tết đến nguồn sáng tạo bất tận]
“Each work is a process where we have to ‘balance’ to ensure the traditional and creative elements,” the artist confided.
‘Regenerative’ folklore paintings on lacquer
Painter Luong Minh Hoa and his close friends founded Latoa Indochine with the aim of creating a new life for folk paintings. They pondered for many years with the question of how to preserve the cultural value of folk paintings and enhance and spread that value in modern society.
After a lot of research and testing solutions, the answer was given to adapt folk paintings onto engraved lacquer material, which is a creative combination of two long-standing painting methods, lacquer and engraving.
During the creative process, the artist has changes in color, in shaping to create artistic effects or further, is inspired by classic paintings to create new works.
By being creative, the artists of the Latoa Indochine group have “put on new clothes” for folk paintings. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+) According to Mr. Pham Ngoc Long, President of Latoa Indochine, traditional folk paintings are very beautiful, but because they are printed on dó and sepia paper, their durability is not high. Therefore, artists have created a new way of drawing on the body. The images in the engraved lacquer paintings are sharp, with depth and when you look closely, you will see that the layers of color are meticulously sharpened. All of these make folk paintings more beautiful, more modern, more luxurious, and their artistic and cultural values are also raised to a new height. A lacquer painting will make the space where it resides more beautiful, more luxurious.
“Society changes, people’s needs change, perspectives change, and we create traditions to fit the times, not change its nature. That is the point of view for artists of Latoa Indochine to practice their art. We return to old folk painting to go to the end of tradition, keeping the soul of traditional culture to live with modernity,” shared Mr. Pham Ngoc Long.
Cat paintings to celebrate Tet. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)Appreciating this idea, researcher and artist Phan Ngoc Khue said that folk paintings are shown on lacquer materials, so in addition to introducing to the domestic and foreign public about the folk paintings. Time also introduced the technique of making traditional lacquer paintings.
According to him, the lacquer paintings with the theme of folk paintings have preserved the features and the soul of folk paintings but created new shades for the paintings by the techniques of carving, inlaid with gold and silver.
Mr. Phan Ngoc Khue also said that, among the lines of folk paintings, Hang Trong paintings are probably the most detailed and sophisticated, so it is extremely difficult to successfully represent Hang Trong paintings on lacquer. However, Latoa’s artists have used modern carving techniques on traditional lacquer materials, with delicate strokes, expressed on the hands and faces of the characters in the paintings. The drawings are soft, soulful and have succeeded in preserving the quintessence and characteristics of Hang Trong paintings.
The process of “putting on new clothes” for folk paintings:
Cat sketches. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
The artist created the image on the computer, printed it and then painted it with titanium white powder. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
Painter Luong Minh Hoa meticulously carves the figure on the body. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
Paintings are exposed to suitable temperature and humidity conditions. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
The picture is covered with gold and silver to create brightness. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
Painters grind and wash paintings. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
The figure of the cat gradually appeared. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
Edit the picture in the final stage. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)
Painter Luong Minh Hoa next to the finished painting. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)Minh Thu (Vietnam+)