Steadfastly preserving the soul of Kim Lan pottery.

Growing up amidst the blazing kilns of Kim Lan pottery village (Bat Trang commune, Hanoi), artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan (born in 1978) has harbored a special love for clay and pottery since childhood. For over three decades, he has dedicated himself to the craft, tirelessly "keeping the flame alive" for his homeland's heritage.

Growing up in a family with generations of pottery makers, artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan's childhood was filled with the heat of the kilns, the rhythmic turning of the potter's wheel, and the image of his grandparents' and parents' hands diligently kneading clay day after day. "From my elementary school days, I helped my family with pottery making. I'll always remember the rainy days when I would run home as fast as I could to help my grandparents bring the pottery inside. Then, when the sun came out, I would help my family take the pottery out to dry in the yard," shared artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan.

Artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan.

As an adult, he continued his family's traditional craft. For him, creating a perfect product requires meticulous attention to detail from the selection of materials and shaping to firing and finishing. The clay must be carefully purified to remove impurities, and the kiln must reach a temperature of nearly 1,300 ^° C. In addition, the craftsman must apply techniques to imbue the artwork with "soul." Even a small mistake during the process can ruin the product.

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The more involved he becomes with the craft, the more artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan understands the value of Kim Lan pottery, an ancient pottery line with a long history, closely linked to the formation and development of the land along the Red River, possessing a rustic yet sophisticated beauty and deeply connected to the lives of Vietnamese people. "I hope that preserving the craft is not just about conservation, but also about developing and creating new, valuable products based on the core foundations of the craft," artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan expressed.

Therefore, in addition to familiar everyday products, he always strives to create unique, one-of-a-kind works that bear his own distinctive mark, contributing to enhancing the artistic value of Kim Lan pottery. From this idea, he embarked on creating the art pottery piece "Vietnamese Soul." The work is shaped as a massive hexagonal vase; 2.8m high; 1.6m in diameter; and weighing 1.6 tons. The entire product uses Hoàng Thổ glaze, a type of glaze made from yellow clay, notable for its high durability and superior heat resistance. On the body of the vase, the embossed dragon and phoenix motifs are meticulously and exquisitely crafted, conveying the aspiration for a happy, harmonious, and peaceful life. With its exceptional artistic value, the work won the C prize at the 2023 Vietnam Handicraft and Fine Arts Product Competition and was recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the largest hexagonal Hoàng Thổ glaze vase with embossed dragon and phoenix motifs in Vietnam.

Recalling the process, artist Nguyen Duc Tuan shared: “I still vividly remember the moment the entire workshop held its breath when the table supporting the artwork suddenly showed signs of cracking. At that time, the artwork was almost complete. If the table had collapsed, all the hard work of many months would have been wasted, and it could even have endangered those working around it. Fortunately, my colleagues and I were able to detect it in time and reinforce the support table.”

Not only is artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan tirelessly creating new designs to enrich the value of Kim Lan pottery, but he also opens his workshop doors to young people to learn the craft and gain experience. He hopes to pass on the secrets and experience accumulated over many years working with clay and fire to rekindle a love for traditional pottery in the next generation. With his perseverance, passion, and unwavering creativity, artisan Nguyen Duc Tuan is contributing to keeping the Kim Lan pottery craft alive.

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Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/ben-long-gin-giu-hon-gom-kim-lan-1046541