Lacquer painting of Uncle Ho received Guinness World Record

The work Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence received the Guinness World Record for 'largest continuous lacquer painting'.

The dream journey of artist Chu Nhat Quang and his brother-in-law, artist Nguyen Thanh Tung, reached its destination on the afternoon of October 11 at the ceremony to receive the Guinness World Record for the work of Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence as "The largest monolithic lacquer painting". The ceremony was co-organized by the Central Propaganda and Education Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the artist's family.

Painter Chu Nhat Quang (wearing glasses) introduces his work

PHOTO: THANH TUNG

Few people imagine that the dream of painting Uncle Ho could start from decades until completion, and then win Guinness. Painter Nguyen Thanh Tung said that since he was a child, studying painting at the Hanoi Children's Palace, he always worried about the occasional time when someone would set up scaffolding to repaint a painting of Uncle Ho holding a baby, because the rain and sun had faded the paint. "From then on, I promised myself that I would paint Uncle Ho really big and really beautiful, and never have to repaint again," painter Thanh Tung confided.

The artist later passed that wish on to his brother-in-law, Chu Nhat Quang. Quang was born into a traditional artistic family, his father was Meritorious Artist Chu Luong, famous for water puppetry, and his grandfather was lacquer artist Chu Manh Chan. Painter Thanh Tung was the one who suggested Chu Nhat Quang to create a monolithic lacquer work with the theme of Uncle Ho. This idea was truly challenging. It required the artist to have both the creativity of a creator and the skill of a craftsman, as well as the technical calculations of an engineer.

Calculating for a Guinness

Painter Chu Nhat Quang shared: "When Mr. Tung suggested doing a large-scale lacquer painting project on a single panel, I was really excited. Because most large-scale paintings in the past had to be assembled from many small panels. Doing it on a single panel, all the lines and artistic intentions will be seamless, consistent and more complete."

Painter Chu Nhat Quang received a record certificate

PHOTO: THANH TUNG

To realize that dream, the two brothers had to "think like engineers". Together, they found the secret to connecting the wood firmly to create the skeleton for the large-sized panel. How can the multi-layer panel expand naturally, withstand climate changes, and still maintain its flatness and color over time?

At the Guinness World Record announcement ceremony, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, Ms. Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh said: "The world record for lacquer painting is the pride of Vietnamese fine arts." According to her, Chu Nhat Quang's work "not only recreates a sacred moment in history - the moment when Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence, but also demonstrates the connection between history, culture and modern creativity."

Mr. Austin Johnson, Official Judge of Guinness World Records Organization said: "This record was established based on the precise measurement process of independent experts, thereby confirming the total area of ​​the painting is 2.4m x 7.2m and the results show that this is the largest lacquer painting ever made."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tranh-son-mai-ve-bac-ho-nhan-guinness-the-gioi-18525101119311994.htm