26-year-old Phan Quang Dung is well-known in Da Nang for making sand pictures.  These unique and lively pictures have been given recognition by the local authorities as one of the city’s official tourism souvenir products.

Dung was born in Son Tra District’s Tho Quang Ward.  He used to work as a receptionist in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.  By chance, he came across a workshop making sand pictures and he was attracted by their breathtaking beauty.  Later, he decided to follow this art pathway.  With his strong passion and aptitude, and after a two-month training course, Dung could complete a small picture.

In 2010, Dung came back to his hometown to continue his dream.  He said that there are more than 30 different natural colours of beach sand, but the jade-green colour is the rarest.  The sand has to be dried and screened very carefully before use.

Dung making a sand picture on Bach Dang Street

To begin, a sand artist needs to have an empty clear glass frame, a stainless steel teaspoon, and a small wooden stick.  The first stage of the process of making the picture is to sketch the subject on the glass surface, and then use the teaspoon to pour the sand into the glass frame.

A sand picture often has two sides with different subjects and colours on each, and these require great patience.  Dung often takes from two weeks to several months to complete a picture.

His picture of Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara

The art of making sand pictures is very diversified, and the most difficult subjects are portraits.  Dung’s works are being displayed at many galleries in the city and in Hoi An too.  During the recent Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC 2013) period, many domestic and foreign visitors were fascinated by his sand picture creating on Bach Dang Street.

The Japanese or Pagoda Bridge, a renowned symbol of Hoi An

Dung says that his favourite subject is portraits of Uncle Ho.  In 2011, Dung presented the Museum of Da Nang with a sand portrait of Uncle Ho to display to their visitors.  He intends in the near future to create a collection of 10 sand pictures of the most beautiful images of the late President Ho Chi Minh.

The subjects in his sand paintings are so varied

He is very happy to hear that his works have become one of the official souvenirs of his seaside city.  By the end of this year he plans to open a workshop to produce many more sand pictures, bringing more images of the Da Nang people and land to visitors.

The image of a rose

 (Written by Do Truong)