At a ceremony to welcome the accolade held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ha Noi on October 11, Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh said this marks the first time a Vietnamese lacquer painting has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records, and indeed the first time the organisation has established a record for lacquer art. She emphasised that the honour belongs not only to the artist and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association but to the entire nation.
Lacquer, a uniquely Vietnamese art form, embodies the patience, precision, and creativity of the Vietnamese people, she stated, underscoring beyond a size record, the Guinness recognition represents a milestone for the Vietnamese lacquer art, helping promote the national artistic values globally while encouraging artists’ creativity to spread the Vietnamese culture to the world.
A representative from the Guinness World Records affirmed that Quang was recognised as the creator of the world’s largest single-panel lacquer painting, following a precise verification process by independent experts. Measurements confirmed the artwork’s total area as the largest ever created in this art form.
The artwork measures 2.4 metres by 7.2 metres, spanning over 17 square metres, weighing three tonnes, and was completed on a single double-sided panel without joins. The front face recreates the historic moment at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The reverse side, titled "Mua xuan dan toc” (spring of the nation), symbolises the jubilation, peace aspirations, and happiness of the Vietnamese nation.
According to Quang, he began working on the piece in 2019 with support from his family. Over six years, he studied historical documents and collaborated with experts to combine both traditional and recycled materials in his artwork which required technical precision in every architectural, spatial, and symbolic detail.
The work was completed in time for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). Quang introduced the painting at the "Mua xuan Doc lap" (spring of independence) exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi alongside 16 other lacquer paintings. The masterpiece remains on display at the museum.
