138 out of 250 ceramic works were selected to be displayed in the Ceramic Exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association. This is the result of the ceramic creation process of 48 authors (including 20 members, 28 self-funded authors) participating in the 2023 Fine Arts Ceramic Creation Camp at Phuoc Du Long Ceramic Company - Binh Duong.
Travellive had the opportunity to chat with artist Vu Trung Tan, who brings ceramic works with many details imbued with ancient Vietnamese culture.
Portrait of artist Vu Trung Tan.
PV: Hello artist. For you, is there any difference between the artist's personality or artistic color when painting and when making pottery?
Artist Vu Trung Tan:It can be said that works of art, whether paintings or ceramics, when appearing before the public largely express the artist's personality and character.
In addition to lacquer and oil painting, I am also passionate about ceramic art and love traditional cultural features of the past. Traditional Vietnamese patterns, reliefs, and decorative motifs have always been a source of inspiration for my ceramic works. Therefore, my ceramic works clearly show my interest and love for traditional Vietnamese culture.
The motifs are inspired by ancient culture.
PV: Ceramic worksYou brought to this exhibition an interesting juxtaposition of hot and cold colors. Can you share more about the process of making glazed ceramic works?
Artist Vu Trung Tan:I don't lean towards light or dark colors for each work, but balance the warm and cool tones to create harmony. The philosophy of "yin and yang and the five elements" also influences the color coordination I choose for my works.
To produce ceramic products with natural colors, the products must be glazed and fired in a wood kiln. Wood kilns do not bring round, even results in the color of the ceramic after firing like electric kilns, but they create spontaneous details thanks to their random temperature and heat. Every time I participate in a creative camp, I have to travel hundreds of kilometers from home to the camp and back home. But my love and passion for ceramics is so great that the long distance is not an obstacle for me.
PV: This Ceramic Exhibition features many family photos with stylized patterns and motifs. Can you share more about a special work?
Artist Vu Trung Tan:In the work "Phu Quy", the image of a woman appears in the background, with her two hands holding a rooster in front. The rooster here symbolizes the man in the family.
The rooster with its 5 characteristics in both appearance and character can be compared to the 5 elements of "literature - martial arts - righteousness - courage - trust" that a mature, perfect man strives for.
The work "Phu Quy".
In particular, the rooster's comb is often compared to a bachelor's cap, representing the level of education and intelligence - also known as "literature". The rooster's spurs are considered a "weapon" of the rooster in "battles", and can also be seen as the "martial" ability, or strength of a man. Whether it is sunny or rainy, the rooster always "keeps its word" by crowing on time. This characteristic of the rooster can also be compared to the "trust" that a man needs to have. Finally, the rooster always shares with the hen and chicks when finding food, which can also be seen as the word "loyalty" - something that a man perfects.
An excellent man who possesses all the above elements is not enough to build a complete family without the presence of a woman behind him. Women always play an important role in "building a home", maintaining family happiness with the flexibility and gentleness to manage everything in the family, especially always guiding their man to good things. I call such a complete family "Rich and Noble".
The work "Breastfeeding Mother". The image of a mother taking care of her child in the new era, holding her child in her arms but still working hard to make ends meet.
His ceramic works impressed the audience who came to see the exhibition.
With the artist’s talented hands, the ceramic works come to life. He has breathed life into seemingly lifeless lumps of clay with many cultural layers, stories associated with the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.
The Ceramic Exhibition is an annual activity organized by the Association for ceramic enthusiasts to freely create and contribute to the field of fine arts, making ceramic materials more diverse and rich.
Through the artist’s creative journey from shaping on the soil, fermenting colors, and firing the finished product, impressive ceramic works were born. Among them, the works with red paper were selected by the Preliminary Council to continue to be displayed in the upcoming exhibition “Report on the results of the creative camp & New creation 2023” with 54 works and groups of works.
This time, the Association especially invited 2 authors from Hue, 4 authors from Japan and 5 Korean authors to exhibit their works with authors from Ho Chi Minh City.
