Stunning Mural Celebrates Vietnamese Culture in Restaurant

A recent mural created for a Vietnamese restaurant in the United States showcases the team’s artistic skill, combining elements of traditional Vietnamese culture with contemporary design techniques.

Commissioned by Long, a Vietnamese-American whose name translates to “dragon,” the mural spans 14 meters and presents a dragon. The task, while appearing simple, involved meticulous planning and precision, particularly in locating an area suitable for a canvas of this length.

Du, the project lead, mentioned the challenges they faced: “We tried laying the canvas flat but managing the layout was tricky. Instead, we decided to stretch it in halves and work on it in sections.”

This mural features a captivating mix of classic patterns and modern materials. The artists incorporated metallic and Decola paints, with glow-in-the-dark components that create a mystical aura during nighttime.

Highlights of the dragon’s head were enhanced with genuine gold leaf, an idea proposed by Du and agreed upon by the client. This gold detail increased the mural’s overall value by $400, bringing the grand total to over $4,000.

The entire project took 15 days to finalize, with Du leading a core team of three artists and a supporting group of seven to eight individuals. The finished mural weighs around 30kg and will incur an additional $500 for shipping to the U.S.

Du and his team are recognized for their large-scale three-dimensional murals, which now grace countless homes and businesses across 18 countries. About 70% of their projects are commissioned by the Vietnamese diaspora, each reflecting the vibrant culture and artistic heritage of Vietnam.

As pioneers in the glowing mural genre, Du’s team is committed to experimenting with new materials and techniques to ensure their artwork remains innovative. They aim to express Vietnamese cultural elements through both traditional designs like dragons and more contemporary themes.