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Why Sơn Mài Painting Is So Expensive | So Expensive - Video học tiếng Anh
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Why Sơn Mài Painting Is So Expensive | So Expensive
Why Sơn Mài Painting Is So Expensive | So Expensive
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Subtitles (73)
0:00
Sơn mài is a traditional Vietnamese form
0:03
of lacquer painting
0:04
created using a toxic lacquer
0:06
harvested from one region of the country.
0:10
It requires months of application
0:13
and sanding back layers of paint to build up the image.
0:16
Last year, a sơn mài painting sold at auction
0:19
for $972,000.
0:22
So, what makes these paintings so special?
0:24
And why are they so expensive?
0:54
Narrator: Phạm Chính Trung has dedicated almost 50 years
0:57
to mastering sơn mài and knows how equally tiring
1:00
and rewarding the craft can be.
1:03
It is an art form of incredible value in Vietnamese culture,
1:06
for both the time and skill it requires
1:08
and the exclusive natural materials needed to make it.
1:12
The process of making lacquer paint
1:14
begins in the forests of Vietnam,
1:17
where planters collect resin from a toxic wax tree
1:20
native to Southeast Asia called the Rhus succedanea.
1:31
Planters must cut into more than 400 trees
1:33
to retrieve between 1 and 1.5 kilograms of resin.
2:01
Narrator: After harvesting, the lacquer must be removed
2:04
of any impurities and mixed for several hours
2:07
before it's suitable for painting.
2:09
One of the principle features of sơn mài
2:11
is the depth created by adding several layers of paint
2:14
and sanding them back.
2:16
These layers aren't always visible in the finished work
2:19
but are what differentiate lacquer painting
2:21
from other common painting styles.
2:23
With oil painting, artists paint from back to front,
2:26
painting the landscape first and the details later.
2:29
The process of lacquer painting is the opposite.
3:10
Narrator: Artists mix natural ingredients to create colors,
3:13
like eggshells to make white
3:15
or cinnabar, a toxic ore, for red.
3:19
In some cases, artists add leaves of silver,
3:21
sometimes even gold, to create a gentle sheen.
3:25
These substances can be one of
3:26
the costliest parts of sơn mài painting.
3:46
Narrator: While the raw materials of the painting
3:48
may be more expensive than many other styles,
3:50
the skill and the work of the artist
3:52
are what set the final value.
3:55
Along with the immense patience sơn mài requires,
3:57
each work is unique and unpredictable.
4:00
That's because painters are never quite sure
4:02
how the layers will resurface through sanding.
4:06
This can either increase the value of the work
4:08
or force an artist to start over.
4:46
Narrator: Painters must be careful
4:47
to let each layer fully dry before sanding.
4:49
Otherwise, colors or designs could be ruined.
4:53
There's no set amount of time a layer takes to dry,
4:56
as it largely depends on the weather that day.
5:42
Narrator: After weeks of work,
5:43
pieces are polished with coal powder,
5:45
which creates the smooth surface
5:47
and lasting shine of sơn mài.
5:50
Artists have used lacquer for its glossy finish
5:52
for thousands of years.
5:55
One of its best-known applications
5:56
is Japanese lacquerware --
5:58
decorative pieces of furniture, boxes, and dinnerware.
6:01
But in the early 20th century, Vietnamese artists
6:04
developed an interest in lacquer painting
6:06
and created a style unique to the world.
6:10
Impressive as these works can be,
6:11
the process is both costly and arduous.
6:15
And that's why Phạm Chính Trung believes
6:17
the future of this tradition will depend on
6:19
finding more artists willing to learn it.
