The Kimsa Sandraw Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday introduced its latest and possibly the largest sand painting of Viet Nam so far, featuring the face of Viet Nam's Ngoc Lu bronze drum.
The 1.5 x 2.1 meter picture depicts the original Ngoc Lu bronze drum face, which dated to around 100 BC. About two third of the drum face has been completed and the remains will be done as an illustration to visitors to the gallery.
According to Mr. Tran Trung Kien, General Director of the Simbo Joint-Stock Company, which produced the sand painting, the idea of making a large sand painting was initiated early this year, in a bid to introduce the new sandraw art to international community on the occasion of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum hosted in Viet Nam this November.
Apart from the Ngoc Lu bronze drum paintings, over 40 talented and well-trained artists at the Kimsa also used dyed sand and other natural materials to craft meticulous, life-like images that are encased in glass frames.
Sand painting can be tedious, exacting work, requiring a great deal of preparation before the actual work can begin, says Mr. Kien, adding that the artists usually spend weeks to months to finish each sand painting, using a spoon and a brush.
Artist Dang Thai Son, who was the first one to perform and introduce sandraw art, desires that in the near future, besides Vietnamese ao dai (traditional costume) and non la (conical straw hat), sandraw art would become a special symbol of Vietnamese culture.
The exhibition runs daily from Dec 23 at Kimsa Sandraw Gallery, 47E Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors to the gallery at night will be served with soft drinks in a special space with twinkling light and a peaceful atmosphere.
Related link:
Paintings from Sand on Display in Ho Chi Minh City
