Crimson Night Print

In East Asia culture the moth, a true creature of the night, represents the souls of the living and the dead and, like the butterfly, is considered a symbol of joy and longevity. In this striking rendition the moth's upper wings are covered with eggshell inlay, created by hammering to flatten and break the shell into minute pieces. The pieces have been placed and scattered with a bamboo stick, setting them into the wet lacquer at varying angles to achieve the desired shades and textures through interaction with the coloured lacquer ground. The eyes and upper body of the moth are not sanded flat as other parts of the painting, but are formed by mixing burnt rice husk powder into the lacquer to thicken its consistency. When first applied it has been pressed under a sheet of plastic which, when removed, creates the fur-like texture. Finally, the sparkling eyes are formed by brushing ground Galena, lead sulphide, into a layer of brown lacquer. (ABOUT MY MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUES) Son Ta, Vietnamese natural lacquer, is an organic material purified and processed from sap of Rhus Saccedanea tree. In my son ta painting, art is created by building layers of lacquer with different colors and textures, and other materials (such as gold, silver, eggshells, and mother of pearl). Underlaying layers are then sanded back to the surface. Son ta has a high transparency compared to other natural lacquers. High transparency enables lacquer to have more vivid colours when mixed with colour pigments. The transparency of the material can also be used to create a variety of expressions. What fascinates me most is the fact that son ta "ages" with time. Natural lacquer hardens by a chemical reaction rather than dries. Enzymes within the lacquer catch oxygen from H2O in the atmosphere and polymerize. This reaction happens in son ta over a much longer time span compared to lacquer from other countries. This makes son ta much softer at the beginning, but turns it harder and tougher with time. Its transparency also increases, making the finished work brighter and more colourful with time. Son ta painting is an art form that ages like fine quality wine. The longer the time, the better in quality and flavore, until the chemical effect is fully complete.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:10 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:15.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.