Phan Hai Bang, an art lecturer at Hue University of Art, has created aspecial type of bamboo paper that he hopes can boost the image of localcrafts.
As a student in the 1990s, Bang received a specialscholarship to study Asian crafts. He came up with the idea of making atype of paper based on traditional Vietnamese papermaking techniques.After studying in traditional craft villages in Thailand, Lao andVietnam, he started trial production in 2002.
Today, the paperserves as material for various art, decoration and installation works.One can find handbags, lanterns, gift boxes and umbrellas made frombrightly coloured truc chi.
"Truc chi is made from bamboo insteadof wood pulp. Its name literally means ‘paper made by bamboo,'" saidBang. "I hope that people will someday know Hue not only for itsheritage buildings and fine cuisine, but also craft products."
Theartist produces the paper by cutting bamboo trees into sections andslicing those into thin sticks, which are soaked in water for a nightand then cooked in solvent lime for half a day. Cooking the sticks makesthem softer, so they can be beaten and grilled into bamboo pulp.
Thepulp is mixed with water and poured into a mould to create a sheet ofpaper, which is then dried under the sun. Finally, Bang makes a graphicon the surface.
The paper is used for many purposes. Thanks toits durability, people use truc chi to make teahouse walls and roomdividers; Bang is currently working on projects to illuminate the paper,which also serves as material for painting, embroidery and calligraphy.Each truc chi paper can even be seen as an artwork in itself becauseBang creates unique graphics on each sheet.-VNA
As a student in the 1990s, Bang received a specialscholarship to study Asian crafts. He came up with the idea of making atype of paper based on traditional Vietnamese papermaking techniques.After studying in traditional craft villages in Thailand, Lao andVietnam, he started trial production in 2002.
Today, the paperserves as material for various art, decoration and installation works.One can find handbags, lanterns, gift boxes and umbrellas made frombrightly coloured truc chi.
"Truc chi is made from bamboo insteadof wood pulp. Its name literally means ‘paper made by bamboo,'" saidBang. "I hope that people will someday know Hue not only for itsheritage buildings and fine cuisine, but also craft products."
Theartist produces the paper by cutting bamboo trees into sections andslicing those into thin sticks, which are soaked in water for a nightand then cooked in solvent lime for half a day. Cooking the sticks makesthem softer, so they can be beaten and grilled into bamboo pulp.
Thepulp is mixed with water and poured into a mould to create a sheet ofpaper, which is then dried under the sun. Finally, Bang makes a graphicon the surface.
The paper is used for many purposes. Thanks toits durability, people use truc chi to make teahouse walls and roomdividers; Bang is currently working on projects to illuminate the paper,which also serves as material for painting, embroidery and calligraphy.Each truc chi paper can even be seen as an artwork in itself becauseBang creates unique graphics on each sheet.-VNA
