Stained glass painting – a unique folk art form that was 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 stained glass painting in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
Stained glass painting is a typical folk art form of the South, using the technique of painting in reverse on the glass surface, meaning that the artist will paint the details from front to back, from small strokes to large backgrounds, requiring the ability to imagine the image in reverse and extremely precise arrangement skills. When completed, the work is flipped over for display, creating a shimmering effect of reflected light, brilliant colors and a very unique visual depth.
Stained glass paintings were once common in communal houses, pagodas, and family temples in the South, associated with beliefs, festivals, and community life. Today, amid the flow of the market and changing tastes, stained glass paintings are gradually being forgotten. However, stained glass paintings are not just “old artifacts”, but a transparent layer of glass containing memories that open up the cultural identity of the South.
“Ma dao thanh cong” is a painting that contains many meanings and is “most touching”, a familiar image that has been present in many Southern houses, as a wish for smooth beginnings and a smooth journey. The painting is hand-painted on glass, featuring a herd of horses galloping, hooves flying, heads held high with charisma. The colors in the painting are fresh but not ostentatious, the golden outline reflects the light, creating a vivid and deep visual effect.
With "Southern Beauty Through the Glass", the painting is not only beautiful in form, but also encapsulates the spirit of the Southern people: generous, optimistic, always moving forward with inner strength and faith. That is the pioneering spirit of the people who once opened up land, built houses, and placed hope in every step they took.
When the light passes through the glass, the image of the herd of horses seems to move slightly, making the viewer pause. Not because of the technique, but because of the familiar feeling of the worship space on Tet holiday, with the wishes that grandparents often say: "do business well, the horses return successfully". In the painting there is memory, in memory there is identity and that is what makes the lasting value of Southern glass paintings.
With a series of diverse and creative events, the project "Southern Colors Through the Glass" promises to bring a fascinating journey of discovery of traditional Southern 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 strong digital media campaign.
Kicking off the series of events are two Workshops: Sac Nam and Workshop: Thau Kinh, designed to bring participants directly to the essence of glass painting art. On July 5-6, 2025, at Paper & I (152 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), Workshop: Sac Nam will open a door to a deeper understanding of the culture, history and traditional techniques of Southern glass painting.
Participants will not only admire the exquisite traditional glass paintings, listen to stories and valuable information about the South as well as the glass painting profession, but also have the opportunity to learn the perspectives of generations on this profession. In particular, the workshop will provide detailed instructions for each person to complete a glass painting by themselves according to traditional techniques, bringing home a work with a strong personal mark and heritage value.
Continuing the creative journey, Workshop: Thau Kinh will take place on July 12-13, 2025 at BayArtspace 600 (262/3 Tran Nao, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City). This workshop is expected to be the first space for young people to freely create with glass. Not only introducing this special material, Thau Kinh also creates opportunities for participants to practice creativity directly, sketch, color and complete a personalized glass painting by themselves. This is a great opportunity for new ideas to be expressed on traditional materials, creating unique works with a 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, Ward 4, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City). The exhibition is designed as a multimedia space where the senses are awakened to evoke deep emotional connections between young people and heritage.
When entering the exhibition space, viewers will be able to "See" traditional glass paintings, where light guides the way to the memories of the South through each ancient stroke. The visual experience will blend with the sound when "Listening" to folk melodies mixed with contemporary rhythms, combined with moving images according to sound using TouchDesigner technology, creating a vivid and engaging audio-visual experience.
In particular, the space will invite viewers to "Touch" the heritage in a new form: flexible, intimate and full of emotions, through the interactive space of light, water and mirrors. Finally, a layer of light fragrance will bring participants to "Feel" the heritage with their sense of smell, to find their own memories through drawings, colors, sounds and lights. The exhibition will have a subtle blend of 40% static works, 30% dynamic works and 30% interactive works, promising to bring a multi-dimensional and unforgettable experience.
Along with the series of live events is a strong Digital Media Campaign, launched before, during and after the event on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. The campaign will use modern and engaging content formats such as teaser videos, behind-the-scenes, mini series, infographics and viral images to reach the young community who love art and culture. The goal is not only to announce the events but also to create a strong spread, arouse curiosity and passion for Southern glass painting art, ensuring that the message of heritage and creativity is widely conveyed.
“Sac Nam Thau Kinh” is not only a student project, but also a concrete step to contribute to the comprehensive and sustainable development of Vietnamese culture and people. The project focuses on arousing pride and active participation of young people in preserving heritage – in line with the new cultural orientation of Ho Chi Minh City.
More information:
Inspired by the unique folk beauty of Southern glass paintings, the project “Southern Colors Through the Glass” launched in Ho Chi Minh City as an artistic journey taking viewers through the cultural colors of the South, where tradition and contemporary intersect through a multi-sensory lens.
The project "Southern Beauty Through the Glass" is accompanied by Travellive Media Group as the official Media Sponsor, contributing to spreading the spirit of preserving and promoting Southern cultural heritage to the general public.
