Recently, the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts, located at 78 Le Duan, Hai Chau District, has earmarked a space for visitors to experience printing techniques for Dong Ho paintings.

Many young tourists experiencing Dong Ho painting printing techniques at the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts. Photo: H.L

The activity is part of a series of interesting experiences from the programme on promoting activities serving lifelong learning in libraries, museums, and cultural centres until 2030 in the city.

Dong Ho paintings (actually woodblock prints) belong to a traditional genre of Vietnamese block printing originating from Dong Ho Village.

Visitors to the museum can manually mix colours, spread colours, stamp and make traditional woodblock prints with folk motifs in the Dong Ho style.

Each Dong Ho painting on ‘do’ paper is printed from wood engravings. A complex painting is usually completed after 5 prints. Meanwhile, only 3 prints are needed to create a simpler painting with cheerful colours.

Artist Truong Nguyen Nguyen Kha, Head of Professional Department of the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts, said that corresponding to the 5 woodcuts are the 5 traditional colours of Dong Ho paintings, created from natural materials. In particular, the red-brown colour is made from ocher pebbles, the white colour from scallop shells, the black colour from bamboo leaves, the yellow colour from aloe vera flowers and the green colour from indigo leaves.

In addition, during the experiential period, visitors will be informed by museum guides about the history of the Dong Ho paintings, as well as guided on how to approach the means and materials used to create such paintings. Thanks to this, participants can better understand the knowledge as well as the style and technique of creating ancient Dong Ho paintings.

Moreover, the Da Nang Museum of Fine Arts has regularly organised the workshop entitled "Fun art learning at the museum" where visitors are provided with art information and create their own works of art such as paintings, photos, and sculptures.

A wide range of exciting experiential activities are held at the museum on weekends, including making lanterns, Origami paper folding art and drawing on different materials.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG