Artist Vo Tan Thanh has “resurrected” a discarded plastic bottle into a priceless keepsake using reverse painting techniques, capturing the portraits of seven family members inside one container as a way to preserve cherished memories.

Vo Tan Thanh, a 75-year-old artist from Tan Trieu Ward, Dong Nai Province, has devoted most of his life to painting. From a young age, he was particularly passionate about portraiture and even once worked sketching portraits of criminal suspects for law enforcement.

Now in his golden years, Thanh has found a unique path in his art: reverse painting inside discarded glass and plastic bottles.

Breathing new life into waste materials

What makes Thanh’s work stand out is his refusal to use traditional canvases. Instead, he turns to everyday items, even those deemed trash.

Used plastic and glass bottles - often environmental hazards - are given new life through his intricate and deeply personal artworks.

In the hands of this skilled artist with a keen eye, each creation preserves not just a portrait, but also the essence and emotion of the subject.

“I want to transform things people throw away into something valuable - protecting the environment while creating beauty,” Thanh shared.

Painting inside bottles or on reversed glass surfaces is many times more difficult than traditional methods. To master this craft, Thanh had to research and craft his own specialized brushes. These tools come in various lengths and are even bent at precise angles to navigate bottle shapes - round, square, oval, or gourd-shaped.

Working in such tight spaces requires steady hands, patience, and extreme focus. At times, he must hold his breath just to keep the brush steady enough to nail every detail.

“The hardest part is overcoming the distortion caused by the bottle’s refraction. But more importantly, it’s not just about accurate lines - it’s about capturing the spirit and emotion of the person,” he explained.

Inside his small home in Tan Trieu, rows of wooden shelves are filled with glass and plastic bottles of all shapes and sizes. His living room resembles a miniature art museum.

Beyond portraits, Thanh also paints elegant female figures on mirror surfaces. Each graceful detail compels viewers to peer closely through the glass to appreciate the subtle beauty. These works seem to narrate life stories, preserved within unconventional yet captivating “frames.”

His hundreds of artworks span everything from “recycled” portraits of loved ones to a full series depicting the 12 animals of the zodiac - each executed using his rare reverse-painting technique.

A family keepsake with ‘7-in-1’ portraits

Among Thanh’s most extraordinary works is a bottle featuring portraits of all seven members of his family. From grandparents to grandchildren, every face is rendered in vivid detail.

“It’s a keepsake I’ve just completed, capturing my loved ones. What’s special is that whether you view it from outside or straight through the bottle, the portraits align perfectly. It’s hard to imagine without seeing it in person,” Thanh said.

To him, this piece is not just an artistic challenge at the age of 75 but also a heartfelt gift for future generations. He hopes that whenever his descendants look at it, they’ll feel the warmth of a family united.

Through these unconventional bottle portraits, Vo Tan Thanh has gradually gained recognition. Many families have sought him out, bringing along old photographs - or even just descriptions of deceased loved ones - for him to recreate.

In one case, a son remembered only the eyes and smile of his late father. Using his experience - honed during years of supporting law enforcement with suspect sketches - Thanh was able to capture the man’s likeness from verbal accounts. When the son saw the portrait, he broke into tears, overwhelmed by the resemblance.

“Moments like that move me deeply, too,” Thanh confided. “To me, this isn’t just about creating a portrait - it’s a way to help the living see their lost loved ones again.”

He compares each artwork to an invisible thread connecting past and present, ensuring that memories don’t fade with time. Through the eyes and smiles he brings to life, viewers not only recognize their loved ones but also rediscover fragments of their own memories.

It is this emotional depth that elevates Thanh’s art beyond aesthetics. His creations become priceless spiritual gifts.

Each portrait inside a bottle, each stroke on glass, and every face born from memory is more than just a visual - it is a time capsule of emotion, memory, and the remarkable life story of an elderly artist.

Hoang Anh