Born in Huế in 2012, Trúc Chỉ is a modern Vietnamese craft that transforms bamboo pulp into an art form of light, texture, and meditation. The name Trúc Chỉ is composed of two Sino-Vietnamese characters: “Trúc” (bamboo) and “Chỉ” (paper), but together they imply something more — paper not just for writing, but for thinking, reflecting, and feeling.

Invented by artist Phan Hải Bằng and a group of lecturers and students at the University of Arts in Huế, Trúc Chỉ brings new life to traditional materials through innovation. Using high-pressure water jets, artists “draw” directly onto wet bamboo pulp, sculpting patterns that only reveal their full brilliance when held against light. These impressions, once dried, capture both visual rhythm and emotional depth — turning paper into a medium of spiritual narrative.

In collaboration with GIVE Sustainable, local artisans in Huế created two grand Trúc Chỉ fans for the lobby of a five-star hotel. Their circular forms feature layered motifs of lotus, clouds, and water, rendered in calming ocean blue. The artworks reflect Vietnam’s poetic landscapes and its relationship with water — both as a symbol of life and a spiritual element.

Trúc Chỉ paper is not mass-produced.

Each sheet is a meditation — slow, fragile, intentional.

It holds light, shadows, breath, and silence.

These are not mere decorations.

They are bamboo transformed by thought, etched by water, glowing with quiet power –an ode to Vietnam’s elegance in stillness.