Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: VietNamNet - Seeking paper for paintings

Thursday, May 7, 2009

VietNamNet - Seeking paper for paintings

VietNamNet - Seeking paper for paintings: "Vietnamese artisans who produce paper and print paintings cannot buy some special kinds of paper in Vietnam. Painter Pham Hai Bang went to Thailand to begin exploring the world of Asian handmade paper.

In mid 2007, Bang got a scholarship from the Asian Scholarship Foundation (ASF) to go to Thailand to research handmade Asian paper.

The seven-month trip to rural villages in the northern region of Thailand to “research and make comparisons of handmade papers and the production process of handmade papers between Thailand and Vietnam” seems to have no relation to Bang, a lecturer of application graphics at the Hue Art University. However, it is very closely connected to his teaching job as well as his work as a painter.

Different from industrial paper, which is made of pulp, handmade paper from several Asian countries is made by hand from tree husks. Without the treatment of chemicals, handmade papers have greater longevity than industrial products.

Moreover, the husk of different parts of trees (trunk, top, body) yields different kinds of paper, with different particularities, satisfying different requirements of painters. Handmade papers like Vietnam’s do, China’s xuyen chi, Japan’s washi and Thailand’s sa have been used popularly by artists.

The trip to Thailand revealed something. According to Bang, Thai experts, artisans and painters like Vietnam’s do paper very much for its uniqueness. However, the size and the thickness of do paper don’t meet the varied requirements of artists in creating paper and printing paintings. In addition, if Thai artisans are willing to let Bang know about every production stage of Thai handmade paper, artisans at the Dong Cao do paper village in Bac Ninh pro"

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.