The person who depicts the soul of wood in the Northwest region

In the heart of Sa Pa town, at a small house on Dien Bien Phu street, artist Tran Van Khi still works tirelessly every day with a rough piece of pơmu wood. With his skillful hands and love for national culture, he breathes life into the wood, creating vivid carvings, telling stories about life, people and cultural identity of the Northwest highlands.

The small wooden house at 216 Dien Bien Phu (Sa Pa) – where artist Tran Van Khi lives and creates art.

Visiting Mr. Tran Van Khi's house at 216 Dien Bien Phu, Sapa Ward, Lao Cai Province, we can see the passion of a painter who is associated with wood carving. With his skillful hands, rich imagination and love for the traditional culture of the ethnic minority community in Sapa, he has turned lifeless pieces of wood into soulful ones.

Coming to his house, we felt like we were lost in a fairy garden, from the garden to the house, everywhere we saw statues and paintings carved with many different shapes and scenes. Passionate about wood carving, he invested in small wooden houses and carved on them realistic and lovely images of life.

Wood carving smiley face collection.

The traditional cultural values ​​of the ethnic communities in the Northwest highlands, especially the land of Sa Pa (Lao Cai), have been with him all his life, helping the artist complete colorful and unique wood paintings about the culture, landscapes and customs of the people in the highlands.

The more we look at his wood paintings, the more we admire his passionate hands. For example, the images of famous characters are all depicted by him with bright smiles, expressing optimism, freedom and the desire for peace . The Mong flute dance has recreated an important part in festivals, especially in love markets, the image of a boy and a girl in colorful costumes dancing with a flute together to express love, pairing and the wish for a happy life. From daily activities of a mother carrying her younger sibling to the fields, a girl going to pick up food or folk dances, the happy smiles of an old couple and even the graceful mannerisms are simply depicted in the world of smiles.

The rustic but vibrant working space of artist Tran Van Khi.

His paintings mainly take advantage of the old, rough and ugly wooden panels that people use to roof their houses, usually pơmu wood, all of which are carefully selected and processed, and with rudimentary tools such as chisels, saws, and accessories, he diligently carves to convey the spirit into the work. Therefore, the beauty of his works does not depend on the size but on the artistic value, the crystallization of human hands and minds.

His paintings are unique from the meticulous carvings on wood combined with the harmonious and delicate brocade colors, creating authentic emotions that recreate the simple life, smiles, and eyes full of happiness of the ethnic minority communities in the Northwest region.

Outsiders may think this is a difficult profession to pursue, but it is not difficult for those who have passion. Under rough, calloused hands, graceful, lively patterns and lines on lifeless, dry wood appear one after another. Each craftsman, when creating a painting, puts his whole heart into it. He always wishes to pass on all his quintessence to his descendants, those who have enthusiasm, passion and talent so that the wood painting profession can firmly exist and develop further, contributing to preserving the traditional cultural values ​​of the Northwest region./.

Source: https://www.laocai.gov.vn/tin-trong-tinh/nguoi-khac-hoa-tam-hon-cua-go-vung-tay-bac-1549390