Reviving ancient pottery features through digital transformation

Originally from Kien Giang province, but because of his love for Lai Thieu handmade pottery, Mr. Huynh Xuan Huynh (27 years old), living in Thuan An city, boldly learned and put traditional products on social networks. His work has contributed to spreading Lai Thieu pottery far and wide.

Heavy heart for Lai Thieu pottery

While still in his hometown, Mr. Huynh was very fond of Lai Thieu wood-fired ceramic products through his grandmother and mother's bowls and plates. So, when he started studying in Ho Chi Minh City in 2018, he went to some markets in Binh Duong to buy ceramics.

Young owner of a pottery kiln over 40 years old - Huynh Xuan Huynh. Photo: Shanghai

“I went to many markets but the ceramic designs were no longer as diverse as before, and were even competing with Chinese bowls and plates. After that, I asked some pottery kilns in Tan Phuoc Khanh, Cho Bung… and found out that they no longer made many products, the level of meticulousness had also decreased and the next generation did not follow the profession but did other jobs,” said Mr. Huynh.

With his fine arts expertise, Mr. Huynh negotiated with the kiln owner to buy a few items in retail to paint and use himself. However, he had to place over 100 orders before the kiln owner agreed. “Because there were too many, I brought them to the city to sell at fairs and many people loved them. From then on, I considered this a part-time job to cover my tuition fees,” Mr. Huynh said.

The more he learned about Lai Thieu pottery, the more he loved it and wanted to learn more. During his time at university, whenever he had free time, Huynh took the bus to a pottery kiln in Thuan An City to study techniques and paint pottery. Gradually, Huynh became determined to follow the profession to preserve this cultural beauty.

Some of Mr. Huynh's beautiful Lai Thieu ceramic products are posted on social media platforms. Photo: NVCC

When he asked to follow the profession, he was strongly discouraged by the kiln owner because according to him, after graduating from university, he should choose a more leisurely career rather than this “hard-working” one, and even his children would not follow the profession. But he was still determined because, according to him, the old Lai Thieu pottery line was very beautiful, and it would be a great pity to abandon it.

Some of Mr. Huynh's beautiful Lai Thieu ceramic products are posted on social media platforms. Photo: NVCC

True to his word, after graduating, he moved to live and work in Binh Duong. To gain more experience, in addition to learning from long-time potters, Mr. Huynh also tried to research the traditional cultural values ​​of Lai Thieu pottery. Seeing his passion, the kiln owner, after retiring, left the over 40-year-old kiln for him to manage. From here, this young kiln owner began to bring Lai Thieu pottery to social networks.

High volume of orders

Mr. Huynh said that although the old Lai Thieu pottery patterns are very beautiful, if they are kept in traditional ways without innovation, they will surely be forgotten. Therefore, in addition to learning the ancient way of painting pottery, he also "breathed life" into it with modern inspirations.

“I chose new patterns that are still familiar to the people of the South, such as the sesban flowers, tangerines from my hometown Kien Giang or altar sets and jars with strong unicorns and dragons. From there, the products are more diverse but still not far from tradition,” he said.

Young workers in Mr. Huynh's pottery kiln. Photo: Shanghai

To be known by many people, Mr. Huynh created many social media accounts called “Nang Ceramics” to share his ceramic products and production process. In his free time, he also livestreams to share the beauty of Lai Thieu ceramics. And this has brought many positive responses to his ceramic kiln.

“Many young people, restaurant and eatery owners who like the old Lai Thieu ceramics started to come to me to design and order in large quantities. They said they wanted to find products like this but couldn’t find them in the market. In addition, many customers in Japan, France, the US, etc. also placed orders because they saw the beauty of Vietnamese handicrafts when I shared them on social networks,” Mr. Huynh happily said.

Depending on customer needs and designs, Mr. Huynh's pottery kiln can make 200 - 1,000 products per day, with all kinds of products such as cups, plates, bowls, jars, flower pots, altar sets, art products... with prices ranging from tens of thousands of VND to tens of millions of VND. Thanks to digital transformation, the number of orders has increased by 30 - 50% compared to before, and during Tet it can increase by 3 - 5 times.

What Mr. Huynh always longs for is recognition for long-time Lai Thieu ceramic craftsmen. Photo: Shanghai

At Mr. Huynh's pottery kiln today, in addition to the long-time craftsmen, the majority are young, about 10 people. These are young craftsmen with a love for Lai Thieu pottery who were invited by Mr. Huynh and have been following the profession until now. Having been at the pottery kiln for 2 years, Ms. Pham Nguyen Anh Thi (25 years old), residing in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, shared: "I knew about Mr. Huynh's pottery kiln through a post shared on social networks, so I came to learn because the lines, patterns, and designs of Lai Thieu pottery are so attractive. At first, I had a lot of difficulty in shaping and measuring the thickness of the pottery, but the more I did it, the more I loved this job."

Sharing his wishes, Mr. Huynh said that he wants the image of Lai Thieu pottery to appear more on social networks so that more people will know about it. In addition, this will become a motivation for young people who want to pursue traditional cultural values.

“Raw materials are less than before, wood-fired pottery kilns are no longer popular, so I really want to improve and find support. And, what I hope most is that skilled craftsmen who have been working in the profession for more than ten years will be recognized as artisans to be worthy of the effort they have devoted to making Lai Thieu pottery more and more beautiful,” Mr. Huynh confided.

Author: Shanghai

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/hoi-sinh-net-gom-xua-nho-chuyen-doi-so-post388494.html