Wooden Storyteller

QTO - In the vibrant flow of contemporary art, where new trends and materials are constantly being discovered, there is a young artist who always chooses his own path, attached and loyal to wood. That is sculptor Truong Tran Dinh Thang (born in 1984), from Truong Ninh commune, member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. For him, wood is not only a creative material but also a soul mate, a means for him to tell profound stories about family affection, about women, mothers, themes that have followed him throughout 15 years of artistic creation.

Make friends with wood

Ever since he was a sculpture student at Hue University of Arts, Truong Tran Dinh Thang had already determined the artistic path he would pursue. Although he had studied and been exposed to many different materials, he decided to choose wood as his creative "language" because it is a familiar, close and easy-to-find material. After graduating, Dinh Thang has constantly worked hard to create, breathing life into the wood to create unique works of art, contributing to enriching and spreading the value of his homeland's fine arts.

Dinh Thang shared that he occasionally creates works using other materials such as stone or cement to meet market demand or for exhibitions. However, wood is still the most consistent and attached material in his artistic creation journey.

He said that normally, sculptors often come up with ideas first and then find suitable materials to express them. But for him, when working with wood, the process is completely opposite. It is the natural shape and composition of the found wood that inspires him to think of a future work. He “listens” to the wood, feels the wood grain and fibers to visualize the shape of the work and sketches out the finished product.

Despite being exposed to many different creative materials, Truong Tran Dinh Thang still decided to choose wood as his creative "language" - Photo: Nh.V

The creative process requires sensitivity, delicacy and the ability to recognize the hidden beauty in raw materials. There are topics that he has cherished for a long time, but to realize them, he has to spend a lot of time searching for suitable materials. Although wood is not too scarce, finding a block of wood with the right shape and meeting the artistic requirements of the sketch is not easy, sometimes it takes months or even longer. The interesting thing is that during those arduous trips, he often accidentally came across blocks of wood with unique shapes, which inspired new inspiration, helped him develop existing sketches or even gave birth to completely new creative ideas.

According to Truong Tran Dinh Thang: To complete a sculpture, the artist first sketches the idea on paper, then creates a test shape with clay. When the shape of the work is clearly defined, the carving process begins on wood. This is a long and elaborate process, requiring perseverance, meticulousness and dexterity in every detail. The artist seems to "live with the work", putting all his heart and soul into breathing life into the block of wood, turning the wood into a vibrant work of art.

Family is a source of inspiration

Truong Tran Dinh Thang's artistic journey was inspired by his family. He was drawn to fine arts by his father, an art teacher, who instilled in him a passion for creativity from a young age. For more than 15 years since graduating from school and pursuing a career in sculpture, Dinh Thang's artistic world has always revolved around familiar values: family affection, the image of women, mothers... It was not a random choice, but a crystallization of his experiences, memories and deep emotions. For Truong Tran Dinh Thang, sculpture is the language for him to honor sacred feelings, tell touching stories about family and convey profound messages about the meaning of home, maternal love, and sharing.

Using wood as a material, each of his works has its own way of expression, focusing on richly depicting the inner world of the characters. Typical works such as: “Family”, “Welcoming Mother Home”, “The Woman’s Story” or “The Soldier’s Rear”... are clear evidence of the artistic path imbued with humanity that he persistently pursues.

Painter Nguyen Luong Sang, Chairman of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in the province, shared that Truong Tran Dinh Thang is one of the young authors who has researched and defined his own language of expression. Thang's creations are not elaborate or colorful, but rustic and simple, true to the warm and close nature of wood. The topics he expresses such as family, women, history, homeland... are familiar but still bear a strong personal mark and creative personality. Dinh Thang is considered a representative of the young generation, following the tradition of fine arts of his homeland. With his diligence, hard work, passion and loyal love for wood, I believe that Dinh Thang will continue to tell many touching stories about humanity and home, with his own rustic but profound sculptural language.

Truong Tran Dinh Thang's talent was confirmed very early. While still a student, his work won the A prize at the art exhibition for students of Hue University of Arts. He also had many impressive works at national art exhibitions, national sculpture exhibitions and exhibitions in the North Central region...

Sharing about his future orientation, Truong Tran Dinh Thang said that he always wishes to have more opportunities to bring sculpture into public spaces. This not only contributes to creating aesthetic value for the city, but is also an opportunity to bring art closer to the public. In the coming time, he will continue to create new quality works to participate in exhibitions, and at the same time cherish the implementation of small projects such as erecting statues in parks and campuses in his hometown.

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Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202511/nguoi-ke-chuyen-bang-go-6753113/