Art events

Saigon-based art agency, Art Consulting Asia, which is holding ‘Art Rotation,’ said: “During this catastrophic time, we can still see hope and spread optimism. Never have we been able to spend so much precious time with our family and beloved ones.”

Than, the youngest of the four, took a year to finish ‘In progress.’

Thu Thuy has eight works in the exhibition. In this painting, ‘I am blonde,’ she used triangles to create a woman’s face. She says: “I think women are able to wear masks [and conceal their feelings].”

‘City night,’ an oil on canvas work by Hoa.

‘The empty sea’ by Hoa. The artist, 57, was born in a family of artists and used to be a fashion designer before switching careers.

‘Keep going’ by Than, a painter of abstracts.

‘Sunshine flap’ by Thanh Thuy uses bright acrylic colors to exude optimism and positivity.

“The warmth of the winter” Thanh Thuy.

Photos by Art Consulting Asia

The move aims to realise the province’s target of welcoming around 4.7 million travellers in 2021, including 95% domestic visitors.

Under the plan, the local hospitality sector is coordinating with relevant sectors to develop tourism stimulation packages and has called on local travel businesses, and managers of local restaurants, hotels, and tourist attraction to launch promotional programmes and organise more interesting cultural, arts and sporting events to entertain visitors to the province.

The local tourism sector has made thorough preparations for the upcoming four-day holiday on the occasion of the National Reunification Day and May Day holiday (April 30 – May 3).

Accordingly, functional sectors and agencies have asked for strengthened measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure social security, and increase the quality of tourist products and services.

In the first quarter of this year, Binh Thuan greeted more than 1 million vacationers and earned approximately VND2.5 trillion in tourism revenue.

After three-years of operation, theMay has gained a position in the country’s fashion industry and received high appreciation from customers both at home and abroad. It was recently honoured as the Best Jewellery Brand in 2020 in a vote by Vietnamese fashion lovers.

With the aim of promoting and safeguarding traditional crafts, theMay has maintained a close connection with local craftsmen by hosting training classes and exhibitions from handmade jewellers as well as auctions to raise funds for the Centre for Community Development under the Vietnam’s Union of Science and Technology Associations.

Born in Gia Lai province, Thanh Van came up with the idea of founding theMay when she lived and worked and Japan. Whenever she met international friends and colleagues, she found that she a few options in respect of giving typical products from Vietnam as souvenirs to them.

In addition, her trips to regions across Vietnam has helped her realise the huge potential for making products inspired from traditional “materials”, particularly the hand-woven brocade cloth of ethnic minority groups.

After much thought, Van decided to quit her job at one of the biggest economic corporations in Japan and returned to Vietnam to found theMay.

It is not easy to start a business, and it is even more difficult to deal with one involving a traditional craft. In the initial days, Van and her colleagues had to spend a lot of time and effort making field trips to and conducting research on indigenous culture and how to embedding traditional materials into modern designs in order to incorporate their products’ into modern life.

Through the field trips, Van’s team decided that many weaving techniques of ethnic groups are being lost since local skilful craftsmen are aging while the young generations have shown little interest in preserving their traditional crafts.

theMay was founded by Vu Thi Thanh Van with the aim of promoting and safeguarding traditional crafts. (Photo: themay.vn)

Colourful clothes from the brocade not only reflect the skilfulness of the artisans but also the essence of the Cham ethnic group’s history and culture. TheMay’s design team, who received methodical training on arts and fashion, has worked to adapt popular patterns such as rice ears, corn ears, and stilt houses, into the brand’s products of bracelets, earrings, and necklaces.

Each collection of theMay is introduced to customers with detailed descriptions of the meaning of the patterns as well as the stories behind them.

Prominent among the collections include ‘Po Inu Nagar’, the ancestor of the Cham people who taught them how to weave brocade, and ‘The Moon and The Sun’, which are typical patterns in the daily life of Bahnar ethnic community in Gia Lai province.

The messages and descriptions conveyed through theMay’s collections have provided customers with a deeper understanding of their products and inspired pride in Vietnam’s cultural diversity. This has also partly contributed to help theMay’s brand appear on fashion magazines and fashion shows.

Currently, theMay has one store in Ho Chi Minh City; it also sells its products on many popular e-commerce channels and social networks.

Although the use of traditional materials in fashion products and home appliances is not a new trend, it is a growing way to create a stable income for people in craft villages. Thanh Van’s journey with theMay may face many obstacles but her job always receives much appreciation from the community thanks to its considerable benefits to the craftsmen.

Bat Trang Pottery Museum is located in Village No.5, Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi, about 15km from the centre of the capital. Construction commenced in 2018 on an area of 3,700 square metres. The museum is a part of the project “Quintessence of the Vietnamese craft village” of Quang Vinh Ceramic Co., Ltd. and the Hanoi Handicraft and Craft Villages Association with the aim of developing the craft village. From the museum, visitors can see Bac Hung Hai Canal on the opposite side. Built at a cost of VND150 billion, the museum is expected to be put into operation in June.

The museum consists of seven funnel-shaped buildings which are intertwined together, their outer walls carved into multi-layered patterns that forms a unique work. The design is said to have been inspired by pottery wheels – the signature tool of potters. From another perspective, it is like the image of a giant ancient pottery kiln of the ancient Bat Trang people. The work also makes the most of Bat Trang Village’s ancient materials such as traditional ceramic tiles, mosaic tiles and baked tiles that bring the most authentic colours to the museum.

Showroom displaying and selling ceramic products in the museum.

The museum has three exhibition floors. The first floor is an area for artists to display their most valuable works, thereby connecting visitors with artisans. The floor is also a suitable place for activities and big events about the ceramic. Additionally, because the open space is very large, it is very suitable for programmes, big events or traditional cultural festivals.

The 2nd and 3rd floor – the central area of the Bat Trang Ceramic Museum is the area to display artistic ceramic products throughout the process of formation and development of the Bat Trang ceramic village, including the types of ceramic glazes, from ancient to modern, with the changes in colour, shape and decorative motifs on ceramic products. The area helps visitors to gain an overview of the history of the craft village.

Meanwhile the rooftop has an outdoor theatre with stages reserved for events and performances. There will also be spaces for restaurants and cafes as well.

In addition to the idea of creating a space displaying handicraft products of the craft village and connecting traditional handicrafts, the museum is also expected to become a place to honour the craftsmen. The museum is considered as a traditional house, preserving and introducing all the cultural values of the Bat Trang ceramic village to visitors.

Although not yet officially put into operation, the museum has attracted many young people to visit because of its unique architecture. Duong Thi Nga (a student from Hanoi University) shared: “I really like the unique architecture of the museum. The swirls are designed to grow upwards, creating the feeling of being lost in some majestic canyon. I will definitely be back in June”.