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“Bat Trang Ceramic Shoes and a Stroll Through Italian Culture” – a unique art exhibition blending Italian fashion styles with contemporary Vietnamese ceramic art. The exhibition officially presents to the public a collection of 12 ceramic shoes in diverse materials and glazes – a legacy left by the late People's Artist Vu Duc Thang. Notably, the collection includes a pair of shoes recognized by the Guinness World Records Vietnam as the “Largest Ceramic Shoes in the Country” in 2013.
The exhibition was organized by the Italian Embassy in Hanoi and the Bat Trang Museum of Vietnamese Art (Photo: Bat Trang Museum)
Vu Khanh Tung, son of the late People's Artist Vu Thang and Director of the Bat Trang Vietnamese Art Museum, shared: "I want to showcase these shoes to the public because they are beautiful works of art and also the beginning of future plans for the Bat Trang Museum. Besides these 12 ceramic shoes, my father left behind thousands of other works throughout his 50 years in the profession. Some works he kept for decades; he wouldn't sell them to anyone who asked, instead preserving them for the Museum."
The shoe upper is decorated with a floral pattern, inspired by the saying "human life has a hundred crafts," symbolizing the flourishing of various professions in Vietnamese culture.
The shoes are inspired by the ancient legend of "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," with the upper meticulously painted with fish scale patterns, and the toe depicting a vivid carp head. (Photo: Do Ha)
According to Antonio Alessandro, the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, the collection "Bat Trang Ceramic Shoes and a Stroll Through Italian Culture" is inspired by the shape of Italy – the country shaped like a boot. This is also how Italy preserves its national culture and brings it to the masses.
The blend of Italian culture and Vietnamese art is not only reflected in the form and patterns of the shoes, but also in the exhibition space: in the imagery of the Bat Trang pottery kiln and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The slanted columns leaning towards the center, where 12 ceramic shoes are "embedded," are both convenient for visitors to view and create a unique artistic intersection between the two continents of Asia and Europe.
The exhibition is presented in a circular layout, with leaning columns based on the image of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Photo: Do Ha)
The ceramic shoe features a "dragon drawing water" motif, inspired by the dragon imagery of the 14th-century Tran Dynasty. This ceramic shoe is also a continuation of a shoe with the "carp leaping over the dragon gate" motif, depicting a carp transforming into a large dragon after overcoming obstacles. (Photo: Ha Quan)
As a long-time friend of the late artisan Vu Duc Thang, artist Le Ngoc Han - former lecturer at the University of Industrial Fine Arts - shared: “The exhibition has immense cultural value. From the motifs and patterns to the graceful movements, it speaks of the Vietnamese soul in every detail. Each pair of ceramic boots requires high technical skill, from the height to the curvature, because in the art of firing, no matter how skilled the artisan is, they still depend on the fire god Prometheus to decide.”
The exhibition organizers also shared their hope that these works will soon be present in the distant Italian capital of Rome, during the city's bid to host the World Expo 2030.
Additional information
Time: 9 AM to 8 PM daily, from April 10th to May 3rd, 2022
Location: Italian Cultural Center - 18 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hanoi
Admission is free.
