The Art Rice paintings meaningful souvenirs from Vietnam

Vietnam can’t claim to be the cradle of rice painting. The rising popularity of rice painting is also helped by tourists who value the artworks as souvenirs. Foreign tourists not only look for souvenirs that are reasonably priced but also seek something that represents their experience in Vietnam. ‘They buy these paintings because they want to decorate their homes with something in a Vietnamese style, but at a fair price.

Rice painting it is not about it being food but also about it being an artwork. ‘People around the world will be able to see Vietnam’s wet rice civilisation and admire our culture.

 Given their uniqueness, such paintings have become quite fashionable among art aficionados. The detail and colours in the paintings are all made from rice. Artists must be meticulous in selecting the type of rice and then roast or dry it to create different colour shades. It is believed that the natural colours of roasted rice are varied and lively and last far longer than most other materials.

Rice painting process

 To complete a picture of rice is not easy. After sketching a painting on a wooden block comes the important task of sticking the tiny rice grains on with a special type of glue. Each grain is carefully chosen and arranged to make full use of the desired effects of light and shade, making the finished work look almost 3D. A professional artist will take three days to complete a painting of smaller and almost ten days for a larger one of bigger.

Each artwork is handmade and unique, as it comes directly from the artist’s heart and soul. Completed rice paintings need to pass through various steps, from selecting materials, roasting the rice, grafting the rice and protecting the picture with a chemical coating.

There are three types of rice chosen as materials, of which ordinary rice is chosen for thin details, sticky rice for large, wide details, and broken rice to make small details and smooth paintings. Each painting features hundreds or thousands or even tens of thousands of rice grains.

Rice paintings traditionally feature four main colours: black, white and yellow, brown, with a variety of 22 other shades such as pale ivory and yellow. The subjects of the paintings can be quite diverse, from calligraphy, landscapes, animals and flowers to religious scenes and portraits. The paintings are also an inexpensive alternative to gemstone or hand-embroidered paintings. Each medium-sized rice painting costs from VND500.000- 2.000.000 (~ 22$ >< 100$)depending on the sophistication of the painting as well as the skill of the artist.

rice painting steps

Each artwork is handmade and unique, as it comes directly from the artist’s heart and soul. Completed rice paintings need to pass through various steps, from selecting materials, roasting the rice, grafting the rice and protecting the picture with a chemical coating.

*ST1  The first and foremost stage of rice painting making is selecting the rice: ordinary rice is used for thin details, sticky rice for big, wide details, and broken rice for small details and smooth paintings. The rice must have been harvested from the most recent crop.

* ST2  Roast the rice separately on a weak flame for one hour or more. Skilled artists can create dozens of different colours by manipulating the flame. During the process it’s imperative that the rice not burn or crack. It takes at least six hours of roasting to have black grains.

* ST3  Remove any broken or damaged rice.

*ST4  Sketch an outline of the picture on a wooden block.

* ST5 Arrange and graft the grains on the already sketched wooden frame.

* ST6  Spray an adhesive layer onto the surface of the painting to fix each grain in place.

*ST7   Dry under the sun for two or three days to make the rice adhere to the wood.

* ST8  Apply a varnish treatment and chemical substance to the painting to prevent mould and termite infestation and preserve the colours.

What makes the paintings attractive is the color harmony, the tight arrangement of the rice grains, and the attractive display. Incorporating all these elements together skillfully reveals the artist's talent and artistic sensibility through a mall grain of rice arranged into lively and engaging artwork. Having artistic talent is a blessing for some people, however, to make a "Rice painting" the decisive factor is perseverance.

"Rice Painting" Vietnam is famous in many countries around the world, and I want the world to know this unique art in my country. I hope you like it. Thank you for reading this article.

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