U.90 artisan paints more than 50,000 pictures of Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton with palm leaves

From palm leaves, artisan Vo Van Tang (83 years old, residing in Thoai Son commune, An Giang province) has carved images of Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton through more than 50,000 vivid paintings.

For generations, the palmyra palm tree has been considered a typical symbol of the Bay Nui region ( An Giang ). The Khmer people here mainly exploit the water and palmyra palm fruit. However, with his keen eyes and skillful hands, artisan Vo Van Tang has transformed palmyra palm leaves into unique paintings.

Among tens of thousands of palm leaf paintings by artisan Vo Van Tang, more than 50% of the paintings are about Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton. PHOTO: DUY TAN

"Fate" with palm leaves of 83-year-old artisan

Artist Vo Van Tang was originally a bank employee, but had a passion for painting. While working in Tri Ton District, An Giang (old), he discovered the durability and special color of young palmyra palm leaves. From then on, he nurtured the idea of ​​using this type of leaf as a painting material.

Images of Uncle Ho are the most dedicated works of artist Vo Van Tang. PHOTO: DUY TAN

At first, his experiment with watercolors failed because they faded quickly, and Mr. Tang almost gave up. Then, during a trip to Da Lat, he witnessed an artist painting with a fire pen on wood, and he suddenly thought of a new direction for himself: using a fire pen to paint on palm leaves. After a year of diligent experimentation, he mastered the technique and created his first vivid paintings.

The image of Uncle Ton was depicted by artist Vo Van Tang through palm leaf paintings. PHOTO: DUY TAN

In 1999, when he retired, Mr. Tang devoted all his time to painting with a fire pen. His paintings of his homeland's landscapes such as the palmyra fields, Tra Su cajuput forest, Cam mountain, Sam mountain... quickly made a strong impression. In 2003, he began to try his hand at portrait painting, of which the first two works were of Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton. "On the day it was completed, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep because the work was so incredibly vivid," Mr. Tang recalled.

Image of Uncle Ho sitting and working. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Image of Uncle Ho with children. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Since then, Mr. Tang has been ordered by many agencies and units in An Giang to make symbolic paintings as gifts. In 2010, he was recognized by the Vietnam Book of Records Center as "Artisan making the most palm leaf paintings in Vietnam" and "The largest palm leaf painting of Uncle Ho's will in Vietnam".

Image of Uncle Ho smiling brightly. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Preserving the quintessence of craft villages

To date, the workshop of artist Vo Van Tang has produced over 100,000 paintings, of which more than 50,000 are of Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton. The large work measures 2m x 2.5m and is sold for 40 million VND. However, there are paintings that he refuses to sell, even when someone offers tens of millions of VND, because he considers them his "priceless works".

Image of General Vo Nguyen Giap. PHOTO: DUY TAN

The workshop currently has 12 highly skilled workers, with a stable income of 6 - 10 million VND/month. He has taught his craft to more than 100 students, but only about 20 have stayed long-term. His palm leaf paintings are sold nationwide and in 2020 were recognized as 4-star OCOP products, affirming the unique cultural and artistic value of the craft.

The image of the Western countryside is vividly depicted. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Western countryside depicted in palm leaf paintings. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Western countryside image. PHOTO: DUY TAN

Despite such success, artisan Vo Van Tang still worries about how to turn palm leaf paintings into a cultural and tourist specialty of An Giang. "I hope more tourists will know about it, so that the craft is not only preserved but also creates more jobs for local people," Mr. Tang expressed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-nhan-u90-ve-hon-50000-tranh-bac-ho-bac-ton-bang-la-thot-not-185250904084400538.htm