Unique trick using agarwood to paint portraits

Ngoc Duc's unique idea of ​​"painting" pictures and photos with agarwood, starting with the portrait of Uncle Ho and the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, was inspired by a trip to the "Agarwood - Buddhism" exhibition in China in May 2024. At that time, he accidentally discovered a booth hanging paintings made from agarwood with rough, monotonous lines, not very artistic.

Le Ngoc Duc next to a portrait of Uncle Ho made by assembling many thin and very small pieces of agarwood.

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

But when asked about the price, the young man born in Tien Phuoc, a famous place for agarwood in Quang Nam province, was surprised. "A very normal agarwood painting, 40 x 40 cm in size, costs 8,000 yuan, or nearly 36 million VND. I wonder why Vietnam does not develop this product line, while our country has the raw materials and our artisans are also extremely excellent," the young man from Quang confided.

"So I decided to build a facility to create paintings and photos of agarwood with national identity, to create works that honor Vietnam's precious objects and through that, I can also inspire agarwood enthusiasts about the culture of my people," Ngoc Duc added.

Le Ngoc Duc (standing) and his colleagues are sketching a work.

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

Devoted a lot of effort when making portrait of Uncle Ho

Agarwood is considered a precious material, so when Le Ngoc Duc had the idea of ​​using agarwood as a material to create paintings and photographs, the first thing he thought of was "finding a noble person" to make a portrait of. And, Ngoc Duc chose to make a portrait of Uncle Ho and the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The portrait of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was made with great care by Le Ngoc Duc and his colleagues.

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

To create portraits that both resemble and express the spirit of Uncle Ho and the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Ngoc Duc must have talented collaborators in the fine arts industry, along with the special affection the crew has for Uncle Ho and the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Each portrait measures 60 x 90 cm, but the artist has to work hard for more than half a month to complete it.

I want to build an agarwood painting workshop for the deaf, those who are in difficult circumstances but have a strong passion for art. Through my works, I also want to spread the culture and art of the nation and introduce the treasure of Vietnam, agarwood.

Le Ngoc Duc

Works made from agarwood material to achieve high aesthetic value require the meticulous skills of the artisans. The agarwood pieces are about 3-5 mm thin and only the agarwood oil layer remains can be broken into small pieces to create works of art. But to have such agarwood pieces, it is necessary to grind many times to completely remove the sapwood of the dó tree. After cleaning, the agarwood pieces are classified into many different color tones, usually divided into 8 color tones. From there, it will create many colors and shades for the paintings or photos.

Paintings and photos created with agarwood are considered the "exclusive brand" of young man Le Ngoc Duc.

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

When creating a work, the artist sketches the shape of the work onto the canvas. Then runs the basic lines on the outside. The more detailed the work, the more the artist must visualize the whole work in his head.

A painting made of agarwood

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

"The way to make paintings and photos with agarwood is similar to the art of tearing and pasting. The artist pastes many layers of agarwood on top of each other, so that from any angle you can see the authenticity and soul. In many places, we paste 5-6 layers, creating a 3D feeling for the work," Ngoc Duc shared.

Mr. Hoang Van Truong, Chairman of Tien Phuoc Agarwood Handicraft Association (Quang Nam) was excited when talking about Le Ngoc Duc's initiative to use agarwood pieces to create paintings and photos. According to Mr. Truong, Tien Phuoc District, Quang Nam Province has an agarwood handicraft village that produces many products that are popular in the market such as agarwood landscapes, necklaces, bracelets... However, Le Ngoc Duc's idea of ​​using agarwood pieces to create portraits and paintings is very good and unique.

"These are highly aesthetic products, requiring talented artisans to make them. To create valuable agarwood art products, we need innovative ideas from young people like Le Ngoc Duc," said Mr. Truong.

Mr. Hoang Van Truong, Chairman of Tien Phuoc Agarwood Handicraft Association, shares about agarwood paintings and photos by Le Ngoc Duc

PHOTO: QUANG VIEN

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-chieu-dung-tram-huong-ve-chan-dung-185250312105752746.htm