Thao and Van Anh with their rice paintings. (Photo: VOV)

Tran Nguyen Thanh Thao and Vo Thi Van Anh of Thuong Thanh Secondary School in Can Tho City brought to the contest 20 rice paintings of Vietnamese women, nature, animals, and calligraphy. Each painting is created by meticulously arranging grains of rice of different shades.

"Lotus flowers represent Vietnam. The pictures is closely associated with Vietnamese daily life. We also made rice paintings of beautiful women wearing Vietnam’s traditional long dress. We hope our paintings will be introduced to a wider public so that many people will be encouraged to create their own paintings," Vo Thi Van Anh told VOV.

A rice painting featuring lotus by Thao and Van Anh. (Photo: VOV)
Tran Nguyen Thanh Thao said their teachers instructed them carefully in every step of making the rice paintings, from creating shades by frying rice in a pan to putting each grain of rice into the frame and arranging the shades.

"I’m passionate about making rice paintings. Our paintings use rice, which is very easy to find and familiar to everyone, especially in Can Tho where rice is one of our specialties. Making rice paintings nurtures our creativity and love for the arts," said Thao.

Students of Thuong Thanh school love to create paintings from recycled materials. (Photo: VOV)

The rice painting project is not the first project from Thuong Thanh secondary school to win a prize at a municipal or national contest. In the 2018-2019 academic year, a collection of paintings made from sugarcane and coffee grounds won second prize at a national creativity contest for children, teenagers, and adolescents.

"I ask my students to create paintings using recycled materials, such as sawdust, egg shells, and shells of crabs and snails. We’ll sell the paintings at art galleries and workshops and use the money to help the less fortunate," said Dang Thi Minh Truc, an art teacher at Thuong Thanh school.

"The project promotes children’s creativity, helps them find a career in the locality where they were born and raised, and nurtures their patriotism and love for their motherland. Their work can generate income and this helps the students appreciate the value of hard work," said Nguyen Huu Nghia, Deputy Head of the High school Education Division of Can Tho’s municipal Department of Education and Training.