Dinh Cong Dat sat slumped on a low stool in his painting workshop outside the Tan Ap dike in Hanoi . He propped a box of lacquer on his lap and chatted while painting, his voice warm and loud. His hands, though not as large as his voice, were very "mason-like"—occasionally, he would spread all five fingers like a fan and vigorously wipe them against his trousers. Not only masons, but many craftsmen share this habit. And Dat—in fact, is a "summary of craftsman connections." He studied pottery with artisans in Phu Lang village, lacquer painting in Chuong My, and leather and bronze work, all in renowned craft villages. "I liked studying that way better than at the Fine Arts school," Dat confidently stated.
"I only find the topic suitable for free speech."
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At the Fine Arts School, Dat made two contrasting impressions. He was the top student upon entry, but graduated at the bottom. The sculpting training at the school "bent" the artists' thinking toward monumental figures. But the sheer scale and monotonous commemorative thinking were alien to him. Dat became unlike anyone else in his class. "I only found free-form subjects suitable," the now-famous sculptor said.
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For Dat, freedom means transforming into one creature after another in his creations. He's so free that he can't even name a specific number, but he's certain the crab he sculpts doesn't have eight legs and two claws. The other animals he depicted throughout his art school years were all similar. They differ significantly from the conventional image of an animal because he always adds or subtracts certain details. But even that addition and subtraction lacks the innocent spirit of folk art. In fact, Dat's creatures are closer to the meticulously depicted creatures that artists create for science fiction or disaster films. These creatures are like ants that aren't really ants, spiders that aren't really spiders… Therefore, even though he turns his back on realistic "reptile" depictions, Dat's works still possess a certain essence in their meticulous attention to detail. From this meticulousness, it's clear he's overly aesthetic – or, to put it more simply, overly demanding. It was so difficult that, right from their inception, Dat's exquisitely sculpted ants had a place in the home of artist Le Thiet Cuong – a man with a notoriously refined aesthetic sense. Once inside Cuong's "lair," the artwork couldn't be overly detailed because he favored minimalism. Nor could it be simple or sloppy, because Cuong was so discerning that he could tell from a fly that some preferred oil paintings to others that preferred silk paintings… Yet, Dat's ants earned a prominent place in Cuong's house, where they could be clearly seen and admired by the ever-present art and culture guests.
A few chickens were "stolen".
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In Dat's workshop, the "framework" of ants and bees waiting to be finished before being shipped out is hung high on the walls. Customers who come to view the goods sit on low wooden horses, like small chairs. Dat told a petite customer weighing about eighty kilograms: "Rest assured, because these are made for children to play with, the carpenters have calculated everything very carefully. The horse will adapt to any position and is very stable." It's not just the carpenters who calculate carefully; Dat's horses also rely on the calculations of various craftsmen. The leatherworkers calculate how to fit the reins snugly against the body without stretching or cracking due to shrinkage. The metalworkers hammer in the nails. The coconut fiber weavers... "2,000 USD each, I only make them for sale after an order is placed."
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It's understandable that even rare horses sell for that price, but Dat didn't have a whole flock of chickens to sell cheaply either. I remember the "Chickens: Chip, Chic, Chicky" exhibition at the Goethe Institute, where he displayed a huge flock of 150 chickens. They were made of plaster cast on newspaper, then named and decorated. Anyone who wanted to create their own sculptures was given hands-on guidance. For all the days of the exhibition, children played on the floor all morning and afternoon. Sculpting for children – it had been a long time – since the construction of Lenin Park – no one in Hanoi had organized such an event, let alone let them participate… Dat officially overturned a dominant sculptural tradition in the country, with the encouragement of these children.
Even on the last day of the event, there were still people registering to buy. The money collected was short by just a few chickens that had been "stolen." Dat said that later, from those stolen chickens, people reproduced many other chicken models. Using Dat's technique, after butchering the chickens to expose the bones and skin, the shop selling these stolen models opened a large store in a big building. Dat knew all about it, grumbled a few words, and then buried his head back in making other toy models.
Now, his professional life revolves around fulfilling orders day after day. He's known for his style of "if he doesn't do something, he doesn't do it at all, but if he does, it's always for a very high price." However, he still has a passion for crafting products specifically for children's emotions and toys. Therefore, even among the high-priced orders, there are also mid-range ones. For those orders, Dat receives full payment for materials and labor, but his supervision and creative work are almost free.
In the world of sculpture, Dat's energy surges like water gushing from a powerful pump, sweeping everyone into a land of children's imagination. There, no object is left unimaginable, yet still cannot perfectly resemble its real-life counterpart. He eagerly carves new sculpted figures to give to children. His professionalism ensures that these figures are always vibrant and constantly sought after for imitation. Ever since his inception in sculpture, Dat has remained an enigma, always poised to explode and create a universe of toys in his creative work!
Trinh Nguyen
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dinh-cong-dat-an-so-sang-tao-18548957.htm
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