VI
EN
Glass painting – a unique folk art form once popular in Southern Vietnam – is gradually fading away in contemporary life. Currently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of An Giang province is proposing to include glass painting in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.
Glass painting is a distinctive form of folk art from Southern Vietnam, using a reverse painting technique on the glass surface. This means the artist paints details from front to back, from fine lines to the larger background, requiring the ability to imagine the image in reverse and extremely precise arrangement skills. When completed, the artwork is flipped over for display, creating a shimmering light reflection effect, vibrant colors, and a unique visual depth.
Glass paintings were once common in temples, pagodas, and ancestral halls in Southern Vietnam, closely associated with religious beliefs, festivals, and community life. Today, amidst market trends and changing tastes, glass paintings are gradually being forgotten. But glass paintings are not just "old artifacts," but a transparent layer of glass containing memories that reveal the cultural identity of Southern Vietnam.
"Ma Dao Thanh Cong" (Horses Galloping Towards Success) is a painting full of meaning and "touches the heart," a familiar image once present in many Southern Vietnamese homes, as a wish for smooth beginnings and a successful journey. Hand-painted on glass, the painting prominently features a herd of horses galloping, their hooves flying, their heads held high in a majestic manner. The colors in the painting are vibrant but not ostentatious, and the golden outline reflects light, creating a vivid and profound visual effect.
With "Southern Colors Seen Through the Glass," the painting is not only beautiful in form, but also encapsulates the spirit of the people of Southern Vietnam: generous, optimistic, always looking forward with inner strength and faith. It is the pioneering spirit of those who once opened up new lands, built homes, and placed their hope in every step they took from the shore.
As light glides across the glass, the image of the horses seems to move gently, causing viewers to pause. It's not because of the technique, but because of the familiar feeling of the New Year's worship space, with the blessings our grandparents often reminded us of: "May your business prosper, and your success be achieved." The painting contains memories, and within those memories lies identity, and it is this very essence that gives Southern Vietnamese glass paintings their enduring value.
With a diverse and innovative series of events, the "Southern Colors Through Glass" project promises to offer a captivating journey of discovery into traditional Southern Vietnamese glass painting art, connecting heritage with the younger generation through a contemporary lens. The main activities will range from in-depth workshops to a unique multi-sensory interactive art exhibition, along with a powerful digital media campaign.
The series of events begins with two workshops: "Southern Style" and "Through Glass," designed to allow participants to directly experience the essence of glass painting art. On July 5-6, 2025, at Paper & I (152 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), the "Southern Style" workshop will open a door to a deeper understanding of the culture, history, and traditional techniques of Southern Vietnamese glass painting.
Participants will not only admire exquisite traditional glass paintings and listen to valuable stories and information about Southern Vietnam and the glass painting craft, but also have the opportunity to understand the perspectives of different generations on this profession. In particular, the workshop will provide detailed instructions for each person to complete a glass painting using traditional techniques, taking home a work that reflects their personal style and heritage value.
Continuing its creative journey, the "Transparent Glass" Workshop will take place on July 12-13, 2025 at BayArtspace 600 (262/3 Tran Nao Street, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City). This workshop is expected to be the first space for young people to freely express their creativity with glass. Beyond introducing this unique material, "Transparent Glass" will also provide participants with the opportunity to practice their creativity firsthand, sketching, color-mixing, and completing a personalized glass painting. This is a fantastic chance for fresh ideas to be expressed on a traditional material, creating unique works with a strong contemporary feel.
The highlight of the project is the Multi-Sensory Interactive Art Exhibition, which will take place from August 8-10, 2025 at Parc Mall, District 8 (547-549 Ta Quang Buu Street, Ward 4, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City). The exhibition is designed as a multimedia space where the senses are awakened to evoke a deep emotional connection between young people and heritage.
Upon entering the exhibition space, viewers will "see" traditional glass paintings, where light guides them back to the memories of Southern Vietnam through each brushstroke. The visual experience will blend with sound as they "listen" to folk melodies mixed with contemporary rhythms, combined with images that move in sync with the sound using TouchDesigner technology, creating a vivid and captivating audio-visual experience.
Specifically, the space will invite viewers to "Touch" the heritage in a new way: flexible, intimate, and full of emotion, through interactive spaces of light, water, and mirrors. Finally, a subtle fragrance will allow participants to "Feel" the heritage through their sense of smell, tracing back to memories through drawings, colors, sounds, and light. The exhibition will feature a sophisticated blend of 40% static works, 30% dynamic works, and 30% interactive works, promising a multi-dimensional and unforgettable experience.
Alongside the live events, a robust digital communication campaign will be launched before, during, and after the events on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. The campaign will utilize modern and engaging content formats such as teaser videos, behind-the-scenes footage, mini-series, infographics, and viral images to reach the young community passionate about art and culture. The goal is not only to announce the events but also to create widespread awareness, sparking curiosity and passion for Southern Vietnamese glass painting art, ensuring the message about heritage and creativity is widely disseminated.
“Southern Beauty Through the Glass” is not just a student project, but a concrete step contributing to the comprehensive and sustainable development of Vietnamese culture and people. The project focuses on fostering pride and active participation among young people in preserving heritage – in line with Ho Chi Minh City's new cultural orientation.
Additional information:
Inspired by the unique folk beauty of Southern Vietnamese glass paintings, the "Southern Colors Through Glass" project, launched in Ho Chi Minh City, is an artistic journey that takes viewers through the rich cultural colors of the South, where tradition and modernity intersect through a multi-sensory lens.
The "Southern Charm Through the Glass" project is supported by Travellive Media Group as the official media sponsor, contributing to spreading the spirit of preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Southern Vietnam to a wider audience.
