Dong Ho paintings, or more fully known as Dong Ho folk woodblock prints, are a style of Vietnamese folk painting originating from Dong Ho village. Previously, these paintings were primarily sold for the Lunar New Year, with rural people buying them to paste on their walls, then removing them at the end of the year to replace them with new ones. Beyond their distinctive lines and composition, the folk character of Dong Ho paintings lies in their colors and the quality of the paper used. Dong Ho paintings are hand-printed from carved woodblocks, and the combination of calligraphy, colors, and stories in each painting creates the unique character of Dong Ho art.
The materials that give soul to the painting are all natural. The number of woodblock prints corresponds to the number of color palettes. The paper used for printing Dong Ho paintings is die-cast paper.
This is a type of dó paper (paper made from the bark of the dó tree) coated with a layer of iridescent white powder (điệp is powder ground from scallop shells) mixed with glue (glue made from rice flour or cassava flour, sometimes cassava flour). Each painting carries its own message and meaning.
Dong Ho paintings are not painted pictures, but rather printed from pre-made woodblocks. However, the printing process is far from simple! To ensure vibrant colors without smudging, a painting requires as many printing passes as it is divided into sections. This simple yet sophisticated manual printing method, on a flat surface using a "simultaneous" technique, disregards the perspective rules of Western painting, creating a unique, purely Vietnamese, and precious art form.
Dong Ho paintings are a long-standing genre of folk art, with many artisans over generations leaving behind a valuable treasure trove of paintings. Currently, many artisans are continuing the tradition of their ancestors, preserving this folk art form to this day.
Nowadays, due to technological advancements, Dong Ho paintings are no longer sold as frequently as before, and the traditional craft village has declined, with only a few families of artisans remaining to preserve the art and heritage.
Nevertheless, Dong Ho paintings remain a quintessential example of Vietnamese folk culture and it is hoped that they will be increasingly preserved, protected, promoted, and passed down to future generations.
Vietnam.vn
