Artist Chu Nhật Quang and his artwork. Photo VNA/VNS

HÀ NỘI – An artwork titled President Hồ Chí Minh Proclaiming the Declaration of Independence” by artist Chu Nhật Quang has officially been recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest single-piece sơn mài (lacquer) painting.

At a ceremony to welcome the accolade held at the Hồ Chí Minh Museum in Hà Nội on October 11, Standing Vice President of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association Mai Thị Ngọc Oanh said this marks the first time a Vietnamese lacquer painting has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records, and indeed the first time the organisation has established a record for lacquer art. She emphasised that the honour belongs not only to the artist and the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association but to the entire nation.

Sơn mài, a uniquely Vietnamese art form, embodies the patience, precision, and creativity of the Vietnamese people, she stated, underscoring beyond a size record, the Guinness recognition represents a milestone for the Vietnamese lacquer art, helping promote the national artistic values globally while encouraging artists’ creativity to spread the Vietnamese culture to the world.

A representative from the Guinness World Records affirmed that Quang was recognised as the creator of the world’s largest single-panel sơn mài painting, following a precise verification process by independent experts. Measurements confirmed the artwork’s total area as the largest ever created in this art form.

The artwork measures 2.4m by 7.2m, spanning over 17 sq.m, weighing three tonnes, and was completed on a single double-sided panel without joins. The front face recreates the historic moment at Ba Đình Square on September 2, 1945, when President Hồ Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam. The reverse side, titled Mùa Xuân Dân Tộc (Spring of The Nation), symbolises the jubilation, peace aspirations, and happiness of the Vietnamese nation.

According to Quang, he began working on the piece in 2019 with support from his family. Over six years, he studied historical documents and collaborated with experts to combine both traditional and recycled materials in his artwork which required technical precision in every architectural, spatial, and symbolic detail.

The work was completed in time for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). Quang introduced the painting at the Mùa Xuân Độc Lập (Spring of Independence) exhibition at the Hồ Chí Minh Museum in Hà Nội alongside 16 other sơn mài paintings. The masterpiece remains on display at the museum. — VNA/VNS