From a dream to a world record
From its initial idea to completion, the painting’s journey has been one of passion, aspiration, and heartfelt admiration for President Ho Chi Minh – an endless source of inspiration for the artist.
More than a monumental work of art, the painting stands as a testament to the creativity of Viet Nam’s younger generation, those who use art to tell the story of their nation with courage, pride, and humanity.
The work “President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence” – the world’s largest single-panel lacquer painting, officially recognised by the Guinness World Records on September 4– measures 2.4m by 7.2m and weighs 3 tonnes.
The painting has two sides and no joins, a feat unprecedented in the history of lacquer art worldwide. The main face depicts President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945, while the reverse side, titled “The Nation’s Spring,” symbolises the joy of the people in the spring of independence, freedom, and happiness.
The painting marks a breakthrough for the generation of artists born in the 1990s. The image of President Ho Chi Minh has always resided in the heart of every Vietnamese, yet Chu Nhat Quang portrayed him in a way that reflects the spirit of today’s youth while preserving the revered leader’s aura and dignity. It is an encouraging sign of the positive transmission and inheritance within Vietnamese fine arts.
Artist Luong Xuan Doan, Chairman of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association
According to Chu Nhat Quang, the idea for a large-scale lacquer painting depicting beloved President Ho Chi Minh originated in 2019, inspired and supported by his brother-in-law and mentor, artist Nguyen Thanh Tung. Over six years, the two artists researched historical materials and experimented with new materials, combining traditional and modern techniques to bring the work to life.
Chu Nhat Quang recalled: “There were times I had to pause to update and adjust based on new sources, or find ways to transport and handle a surface weighing several tonnes. But my love for Uncle Ho, together with the guidance and support from Tung, my family, and my team, helped me overcome every challenge. Completing the painting on the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2 brought me incomparable happiness.”
The story of “President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence” – along with many other works inspired by President Ho Chi Minh – began with artist Nguyen Thanh Tung’s own dream. “I once dreamed of painting Uncle Ho beautifully and on a grand scale, so that even from afar his face would shine clearly – a timeless lacquer artwork. When I met Chu Nhat Quang, then an eight-year-old boy passionate about drawing, I passed that dream on to him, and together we made it come true.”
Nguyen Thanh Tung accompanied Chu Nhat Quang throughout his artistic journey, including his overseas studies in fine arts. The two travelled extensively, researching materials to replace wooden lacquer panels. As Tung put it, they even studied the materials used in aircraft wings and ship hulls to create a large, stable surface spanning dozens of square metres, resistant to warping or shrinkage.
I once dreamed of painting Uncle Ho beautifully and on a grand scale, so that even from afar his face would shine clearly – a timeless lacquer artwork. When I met Chu Nhat Quang, then an eight-year-old boy passionate about drawing, I passed that dream on to him, and together we made it come true.
Artist Nguyen Thanh Tung
“When researching materials, our top priority was environmental friendliness – avoiding wood and deforestation – while making use of recycled materials. After countless meticulous trials and failures, we finally succeeded. To this day, no one else has managed to create seamless lacquer paintings of unlimited size like those of Chu Nhat Quang,” Nguyen Thanh Tung shared.
When Quang’s work was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest single-piece lacquer painting, Tung was deeply moved. It was not only a personal triumph for Quang, himself, and their family, but also a moment of profound significance – affirming the status of Vietnamese lacquer art and the strength of a new generation of artists who blend modern knowledge with national identity and cultural values.
“From now on, when international art lovers mention Guinness World Record works, ‘President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence’ will be among them. They will remember Viet Nam – a nation that loves peace, cherishes beauty, and treasures the cultural and artistic heritage of its ancestors,” Nguyen Thanh Tung said proudly.
Aspiration to reach beyond
Artist Luong Xuan Doan, Chairman of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association, reaffirmed: “The work marks a breakthrough for the 9X generation of artists. The image of President Ho Chi Minh already lives in the hearts of all Vietnamese, but Chu Nhat Quang portrayed him through the lens of contemporary youth, while preserving the leader’s spirit and charisma. This is an encouraging signal for the positive continuity and inheritance in Vietnamese fine arts.”
Undoubtedly, “President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence” is more than an artwork – it is a cultural project of profound spiritual value. Young artist Chu Nhat Quang has used art to pay tribute to history and previous generations while inspiring patriotism among today’s youth.
Poet Nguyen Khoa Diem, former Politburo member, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC), and former Head of the PCC’s Ideology and Culture Commission, remarked: “This is a positive artistic exploration, both in subject and material. Creating such a monumental lacquer painting of President Ho Chi Minh is extraordinarily challenging, demanding talent, dedication, and perseverance. International recognition of this work is a shared joy for Vietnamese artists and art lovers.”
This is a positive artistic exploration, both in subject and material. Creating such a monumental lacquer painting of President Ho Chi Minh is extraordinarily challenging, demanding talent, dedication, and perseverance. International recognition of this work is a shared joy for Vietnamese artists and art lovers.
Poet Nguyen Khoa Diem
Together with his two large-scale lacquer exhibitions – “Sacred Marks” at Thang Long Imperial Citadel in 2024 and “Spring of Independence” at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ha Noi – and the newly confirmed Guinness World Record, Chu Nhat Quang continues to make his mark in the art scene.
Earlier this October, at the 18th “Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Ha Noi” Awards, Quang’s lacquer paintings from both exhibitions were among 11 works nominated for excellence.
Among them, “President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence” served as the centrepiece of “Spring of Independence.” While “Sacred Marks” deeply portrayed national heritage and humanistic philosophy, “Spring of Independence” – centred on Quang’s record-setting work – opened a brighter, more emotional space, honouring President Ho Chi Minh and the revolutionary spring of the Vietnamese nation: a spring of faith, freedom, and aspiration.
Opening on the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2), the “Spring of Independence” exhibition drew tens of thousands of visitors, becoming a highlight event connecting the nation’s proud past with its vibrant present.
Deputy Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communication, Education and Mass Mobilisation Dinh Thi Mai emphasised that the exhibition held profound historical and humanitarian value, significantly contributing to promoting revolutionary traditions, patriotism, and national pride among officials, Party members, citizens, and especially the younger generation.
This achievement demonstrates the enduring vitality of traditional Vietnamese art when continued and developed by young artists. It also reaffirms the vital role of fine arts in spreading the values of independence, freedom, and peace – becoming a proud symbol of creativity and Viet Nam’s aspiration to bring its art to the world.
