Truc chi is a special kind of paper which veteran artist Phan Hai Bang designed to restore old Vietnamese craft. Together with his team, they designed a new line of modern art products integrating Truc chi paper into each one, thereby giving birth to a revolutionary art like no other.

     Bang fabricated Truc chi paper from bamboo pulp which is produced using the same technique as in paper Poonah. But unlike the latter, a distinct graphic design is attached during the final stage of the process, making each sheet of Truc chi paper unique and a work of art all on its own. It had a test production in 2002 as a decorative piece, and it turned out successful in that it was warmly received even in foreign art avenues like France, Belgium and Thailand.   Especially in its own birth place, Truc chi proves its worth as in a recent workshop held in Hue, it was the preferred technique among other choices like book art, printmaking installation, non-toxic lithograph and gumprint. Both young artists and seasoned artisans chose Truc chi because they saw great inspiration and potential in it. In fact, it was the medium used in many art competitions and won first place all the time.

  Despite their undeniable talent and passion for the art, traditional craftsmen need to learn new techniques in order to keep up with the demands of recent times. They need therefore to master new skills like bronze, bamboo, wood and leather processing and merge it with their stock knowledge. Modern day items like frame holders, jewelry box locks, leather wallets, lanterns, paper paintings and bookmarkers for instance can be infused with Truc chi designs and other traditional Vietnamese art style.

  Traditional Vietnamese craft has to adapt to contemporary art, but not at the expense of its value and quality. Phan Hai Bang hoped to create a unity between traditional and modern art without destroying, in fact preserving, the strong and distinct foundation of each. The Truc chi paper was invented in an effort to rekindle people’s love for ancient art and at the same time attract interest from the rest of the world.