For artists, they come back to pottery as returning to their motherland, indulging in self-indulgence, creativity, letting go off their desires to the end... It is also within those emotional levels that they are on the way of finding ceramics a miraculous resurrection.
1. I has visited the annual ceramics camp of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Ceramics Association on the last day of the camp. I called this as a choice because I could come earlier. I longed for new things in this seemingly familiar event. The first feeling when visiting Phuoc Du Long Ceramics Company was a bit disappointed because on the last day most famous artists completed their works before the deadline. I reassured myself that if choosing from good things, I would meet predestined conditions.
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Pottery entrepreneurs enjoy the “Sinh” work by Huynh Thanh Phu artist
I walked to the place where the finished works were on display, a ceramic space that was not brilliant, but "fascinating" with the audience by its strange design. Unique products, full of natural improvisation, without standards created an enchanting space. A stylized vase is blown into it with the spirit of a talented artist. The figures sit and let out a sigh... Each work is not baked, glazed irregularly, but covered in thick, thin, empty space and dripped in other places, creating an evocative feeling with subtle depth. Each work is sometimes just a stylization, creating highlights with a few simple details, or a few basic colors, but with high effects. In that space, viewers could enjoy creative personalities, skillful hands and the old soul like patchy time traces that was enough for vibration. Through many variations of pottery, we realized that human creativity is endless.
2.We stopped by the statue of Dat Ma Master, the founder of the Shaolin sect by Nguyen Van Trung, a member of the Saigon Fine Arts Ceramics Club. That statue is a detailed concretization of the lines that I feel that the author has mastered the character of Dat Ma Master, very vividly with full beauty. “I have a strong passion for Buddhist art, especially Buddha statues. Perhaps, I have a deep affinity with this field and especially the Buddhist monument is my passion. And with Dat Ma Master, I have also invested in the statue for 6 years. Applying my own knowledge on sculpture and character studies in accordance with the philosophy: To sculpt a Buddha statue, you must have Buddha in your heart , the artist explained with sobriety. With this artist, in the materials of the visual arts field, the potter needs to be diligent, hardworking and creative. Using ceramic materials requires extremely complex technical knowledge, not to mention choosing and processing materials to make raw products. Before that, he had to try a lot with ceramic materials and of course sometimes had to pay a heavy price. The passion to ceramics has helped him be successful in this field. Up to now, with pottery, he is like a person who grasps the soul of the profession, highly appreciated by the art world. He has many ideas in creating new products, adding brilliance to simple materials, subtle enough, with gentleness in artistic depth. Getting "drunk" on pottery, weaving many dreams, tasting many bitter fruits to be able to master materials under the bravery of an untrained person, he understood that pursuing the profession is difficult, but pursuing pottery materials is even more difficult if not bringing all your love and desire to devote to it.
3. Bringing ceramic lovers to the passion in this creation camp is the work "Sinh” (birth) by Huynh Thanh Phu. First of all, it is the perception of the world, of life, of the modern concept of life that has created infinite sympathy in every human being. However, this is not a new topic in painting and sculpture. If not coming to its own, it's easy to enter the rut, a scary thing in art, especially with difficult materials like ceramic. Fortunately, that did not happen when "Sinh" attracted viewers because the work was both oriental and very impressive in a western style. "Sinh” cleverly shows off its sophistication and feats in each line, excitedly telling about the journey to conquer the earth and fire while also reflecting the pride and burning passion for ceramic materials.
No matter how Mr. Phu's face is gentle and pure, "fire" in the work affirms that pottery is learned by hand, with eyes and the mind of "eating", "sleeping" together with pottery. Sitting with us, he exuded a feeling of anxiety about how to regulate the fire, the firing technology so that the work is truly the sound of his heart to many people. “Although I have made hundreds and thousands of products, for me this time when “Sinh” entered the kiln, I was nervous and anxious. That is a unique emotion that can only be found in ceramics. It is like how I am also looking forward to being reborn…”, he said.
4. The thing that I and the artists at the creation camp touching the most is to give all love and respect to businessman Vuong Sieu Tin, Director of Phuoc Du Long Ceramics Company after many ceramic camps took place. A man that even the most cynical people have enough faith that his love for pottery is big enough. Each story about his profession is the dedication to building, recreating and spreading himself for the revival of Binh Duong ceramics. For him, the biggest desire is to create products that touch the customer's heart to be "interpreted" as success. "If you just blow up the brand without taking care of the production platform, no matter how much money you have, you can't maintain the virtual brand" was the way he explained to us when the production "recovered” after Covid-19. And, this businessman is also opening the door for ceramics to "transform", narrowing the gap between art materials in an inviting and proactive attitude.
5. Culture will remain after all. The story of the "experienced men" in the Binh Duong ceramic industry that day ignited the desire to rebuild the "appearance" to raise the Binh Duong ceramic brand to spread its wings to the world. And the soul of the creative camps like today will remain forever inside the creative mantle to adapt to modern life. It is expected that the boldness of "hitting" on essential product lines, favoring household and decorative products, the harmony between the two elements "application" and "aesthetics" will further give Binh Duong ceramics a new direction…
In the early summer weather, when the sun gently dries each new batch of pottery, suddenly thinking about the future, I secretly hope that Binh Duong ceramics will have more generations to follow silently, keep the fire and constantly reach out.
Reported by Tieu My-Translated by Tieu My
