New direction for Van Son pottery village

Ups and downs of the pottery profession

In the pottery industry, clay is a very important material, determining the existence and development. Because of the rich clay source, suitable for creating durable products, more than 70 years ago, the first craftsmen chose Van Son as their place to start their business.

In its heyday, Van Son pottery village had more than 50 households working in the craft, and its products followed traders to all parts of the countryside. But now, because the clay source is depleted, in the old craft village space, there are only a few households quietly sticking to the craft, keeping the pottery fire from fading.

Artisan checks pottery before firing. **Photo: Viet Hung**

Having been involved in the pottery making profession for nearly 50 years, Mr. Tran Tan Phat understands better than anyone the ups and downs of these professions. He shared: “In the past, local clay was very abundant, just needing to be dug up and processed to be able to mold into jars, pots, teapots... But now it has almost run out. People have to buy farmland (called Luc Tham land), which is both costly and makes the quality of pottery cannot be compared to before.”

Not only lacking raw materials, Van Son ceramic products also have to struggle with fierce competition in the modern market. Nowadays, products made from industrial ceramics, plastic, stainless steel, glass with the advantages of being light, durable, diverse in design, and cheap easily dominate the market.

Meanwhile, traditional handmade ceramic products, which require a lot of effort from shaping to finishing, are gradually losing ground and finding it difficult to gain a foothold.

People dry pottery under the bamboo canopy of the village. **Photo: Viet Hung**

The difficulties piled up, making the picture of the craft village increasingly gloomy. The once-flaming pottery kilns have mostly cooled down. In the village, there are a few elderly artisans who still persevere in their craft.

Although he is over 50 years old and has been involved in the pottery profession for nearly 3 decades, Mr. Nguyen Tan Khai is still called “young potter”. Because he is the youngest person in the village still sticking with the profession.

Mr. Khai shared: “Since I was little, I have followed my parents to dig soil and make pottery. Now I am used to it and cannot quit. I do it because of my passion and because I want to preserve my father’s profession.”

Find a new direction

In the dark-colored picture of Van Son pottery village, there are still glimmers of hope from the innovation and creativity of the young generation. One of the people who brings that new wind is Ms. Do Thi Thanh Van - Director of Van Son Pottery Private Enterprise (Quy Nhon Dong Ward). She has more than 15 years of experience in the field of interior design.

Ms. Do Thi Thanh Van (left) introduces Van Son ceramic products to customers. **Photo: Viet Hung**

In the process of searching for suitable materials for modern living spaces, Ms. Van realized that ceramics have their own unique beauty and can be applied delicately in interior decoration.

From that opportunity, in 2023, she decided to cooperate in production with the people of Van Son pottery village, finding a way to breathe life into products that are only familiar in rural life.

Product categories include: pillar patterns, corner patterns, wall moldings, pots, jars, vases, etc. Goods are mainly consumed through online channels, sold in markets inside and outside the province.

Ms. Van shared: “The current trend is to return to simplicity and closeness to nature. In particular, ceramic products with pristine earth tones created by the hands of artisans completely satisfy that.”

It is this new way of thinking that has opened up opportunities for Van Son pottery to become decorative products, art products, contributing to helping the craft village find a place in contemporary life.

Previously, Van Son ceramics were mainly plain, without patterns or motifs, bearing a rustic character but lacking the differentiation to compete. Realizing this limitation, Ms. Van boldly experimented with adding patterns and motifs to the products, and at the same time designed new molds to enhance the aesthetic value and increase the ability to reach modern customers.

The journey was not easy, because it had to preserve the inherent rustic spirit while meeting market demand. However, thanks to the support and contribution of a number of dedicated artisans, Van Son ceramic products with a new breath were born and initially received positive feedback from consumers.

Despite many difficulties, Van Son pottery village has not died out. The light of hope is lit by the creativity of young people like Ms. Do Thi Thanh Van and the passion to preserve the profession of the elderly artisans who work day and night at the kiln.

It is the resonance between modernity and tradition that is opening up opportunities for Van Son pottery to adapt to the market, affirm cultural values and move towards a sustainable future.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/huong-di-moi-cho-lang-gom-van-son-post570361.html