Guinness World Record Award Ceremony for the lacquer painting “Uncle Ho Reading the Declaration of Independence”

Painter Chu Nhat Quang received the Guinness World Record for his work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence".

Attending the ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh, representatives of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, representatives of the Guinness World Records Organization, the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and a large number of artists and art lovers.

The event took place to honor a painting record and affirm the position of Vietnamese fine arts in the journey of global cultural integration.

The work "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" - a proud record of Vietnamese lacquer.

This is the first Guinness record in the field of painting in Vietnam, a historic milestone, putting our country's lacquer art on the map of creative values recognized by the world.

The lacquer painting “Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence” measures 2.4x7.2 meters, covers an area of more than 17 square meters, and is painted on a single piece of wood, without joints, a technique that requires absolute precision and mastery of the lacquer artist.

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh and representatives of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism , and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association congratulated the young author.

The work recreates the moment President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945 at Ba Dinh Square, the moment opening an era of independence and freedom for the Vietnamese people.

On a traditional lacquer background, the image of Uncle Ho is depicted simply but majestically, amidst a space filled with red flags with yellow stars and the brilliant light of joy of national independence. Each shade of brown, yellow, and vermillion, typical of Vietnamese lacquer, is delicately processed, creating visual depth and emotion.

More than just a painting, the work is like a colorful epic, where art blends with history to evoke national pride. The presence of Uncle Ho in the painting is a political image, and also a cultural symbol, representing the will, intelligence and aspirations of the Vietnamese people.

Notably, the entire painting was created in 7 years, a period of time considered a testament to artistic labor and a journey to find new limits of traditional materials.

Lacquer, considered the “soul of Vietnamese painting”, is a material that is a combination of nature and man, from lacquer resin, gold, silver, eggs, to grinding, coating and polishing techniques.

In the work “Uncle Ho Reading the Declaration of Independence”, all of those elements are raised to a level of sophistication, meticulousness down to each layer of paint, each reflection, each polishing mark, helping the work to have both technical value and reach the level of cultural symbolism.

Speaking at the ceremony, art critic Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, affirmed: The Guinness Record for the lacquer painting "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" is not only a record in size, but also a meaningful recognition for the country's lacquer art, contributing to more widely promoting the value of Vietnamese fine arts and encouraging the team of painters to continue to create, spreading the good values of national culture to international friends.

Art critic Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh, on behalf of the leaders of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, awarded the "For the Cause of Vietnamese Fine Arts" Medal to the author of the lacquer painting.

Since the beginning of his creative journey, he has tried and succeeded in creating large-scale lacquer paintings weighing up to tons. This has been a difficult and arduous journey.

To create exceptionally large-sized paintings that can withstand harsh outdoor environmental changes, with the sole purpose of bringing President Ho Chi Minh's image closer to the masses, so that everyone can admire the great image of Uncle Ho, painter Chu Nhat Quang went through dozens of failures and then with persistent labor, he did not hesitate to overcome all challenges.

The record-breaking painting “Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence” is the clearest proof of daring to think, daring to do, daring to overcome all limits to affirm Vietnamese identity.

To recognize the contributions of painter Chu Nhat Quang in preserving and promoting the value of traditional lacquer art, and at the same time contributing to bringing Vietnamese painting to the world, art critic Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh, on behalf of the leaders of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, awarded the "For the cause of Vietnamese fine arts" Medal to the author of the painting.

Meanwhile, Mr. Austin Johnson Clark Herzog - representative of Guinness World Records, the official judge of the work, said: “This year is a special year for us at Guinness World Records as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. I am honored to announce the achievement of artist Chu Nhat Quang, a milestone that makes this year more meaningful. I am pleased to confirm that the world's largest unassembled lacquer painting belongs to Vietnam. The record was established based on the precise measurements of professional surveyors. This is also the first time Guinness has recognized a record in the field of lacquer painting. We believe that this achievement will help the world better understand Vietnam's unique traditional art.”

If history is recorded in golden pages, then art is the way people preserve the soul of those moments. “Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence” recreates a sacred moment, besides contributing to reviving the spirit of an entire nation, the spirit of independence, self-reliance, humanity and creativity. The success of the work shows that Vietnamese art is constantly transforming into a modern way of thinking, but still imbued with national character.

Painter Chu Nhat Quang next to the Guinness World Record lacquer painting "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence".

Lacquer has been the pride of Vietnamese fine arts throughout the ages, from Nguyen Gia Tri, Tran Van Can, Nguyen Sang, to today's generations of painters. With the recognition by Guinness, "Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence" has written a new chapter for lacquer, affirming that tradition, when nurtured by creativity and aspiration, can absolutely reach global heights.

HOAI THU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/le-trao-ky-luc-guinness-the-gioi-cho-tac-pham-son-mai-bac-ho-doc-tuyen-ngon-doc-lap-post914656.html