Sculptor Dao Chau Hai and the loneliness of Steel

In the sculpture world in Vietnam, Dao Chau Hai is the one who inspired and led a generation of young, talented sculptors onto the path of creativity.

What he has achieved in decades of dedication to his profession has placed him in the most honored position of contemporary Vietnamese visual arts.

Exclamation mark in silent space

The first time I met Dao Chau Hai was when he came to install his latest work at the Flamingo Museum of Contemporary Art (FCAM). It was a cold, misty late autumn morning. Dao Chau Hai stood apart from the crowd, smoking alone. He wore a black vest, a long-sleeved black shirt, a black hat, and black glasses. His expression was pensive, it was unclear whether he was happy or sad. He exuded a reserved, unapproachable, slightly arrogant air, like an exclamation point in a quiet space.

Before coming to Dai Lai pine forest, Dao Chau Hai had a illustrious career spanning decades. Born in 1955, he started his career at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts and then continued his studies at the Moscow State Academy of Fine Arts. He has been involved in teaching for many years and served as Chairman of the Sculpture Art Council of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

His works have appeared in many international exhibition spaces, notably the Berlin Biennale 2022 - one of the most prestigious contemporary art events in Europe and with global influence.

In July 2025, he became a member of the Russian Academy of Arts, a prestigious recognition for his tireless creative journey.

Traveling East and West, Dao Chau Hai still expressed his sincere emotions when participating in the Art In The Forest (AIF) 2025 exhibition: "As a Vietnamese, I always feel that creating and displaying works in my homeland is a special happiness that cannot be found anywhere else."

Before making the work, Dao Chau Hai had researched this land very carefully. Behind Dai Lai is the Tam Dao range, and to the south, spreading across the plains and the Red River basin, is the land leading to Ba Vi. All of these create a space rich in cultural sediments of the Vietnamese community. He feels that this place brings a sense of peace, quiet, evoking contemplation and creative inspiration.

The work he brought to AIF this time has a very poetic name “The Iron Bird in the Quiet Space.” The structure of the work is based on the principle of origami – the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. From a simple square, people can transform it into countless different shapes. “I find that philosophy very suitable for me at this stage. It gives both the creator and the audience a feeling of lightness, liveliness, and not heaviness – even though the material language is ‘heavy.’”

The work is 3 meters high and weighs nearly 3 tons - a considerable amount, but he has carefully calculated the size and color to harmonize with the context. The work is made of Handox 450 steel plate and stainless steel, that is, colored steel and white steel combined together. The two main colors are rust brown and metallic white, creating a change in tone and diversity of the surface.

Every artist searches for the material that best suits their emotions and physicality. Some people are suited to stone, others to wood, clay, cement… For Dao Chau Hai, after many years of working and going through many choices, he realized that he is most suited to metal. “Steel gives me a feeling of strength, durability and weight – both literally and figuratively. This material fascinates me and helps me fully express my thoughts,” he shared.

Seen from afar, the work seems to blend in with nature, like a brown sparrow perched on the grass, awakening old memories of a childhood closely associated with nature and fields.

“People say that when you create something, whether it’s a painting or a sculpture, it’s an expression of yourself,” Dao Chau Hai confided. “There are times, especially recently, when I feel like I’m living in a quiet, lonely place. That’s also very interesting.”

The art of serving the community

Dao Chau Hai's latest work will be displayed in the Flamingo Contemporary Museum, located on the premises of Flamingo Dai Lai Resort. (Photo: Flamingo)

Sculpture is a special art form, closely associated with architecture, urban development and industrial civilization.

Dao Chau Hai believes that Vietnam currently still lacks a proper urban and cultural planning system. “We have ‘big villages’ but no real ‘cities’, so the development of art associated with public spaces is still limited.”

However, he is also very optimistic: “If we separate the market aspect, I think, Vietnamese sculpture is currently developing very well, with much more diversity in perspectives and perceptions. It's just that the media is less interested in this field, so the public sees it less.”

Regarding contemporary art, he was frank: Vietnam is quite far behind the world . Up to now, Vietnam has not really participated deeply in major international art organizations or events. “We are still on the outskirts - that is, the periphery of the art world. It is not because Vietnamese artists are bad, on the contrary, we have many very talented people. But they do not have enough conditions, mechanisms and institutions to bring their works to the international arena, to have equal dialogue with foreign artists.”

In the context of sculpture struggling to find a place to live, Dao Chau Hai highly appreciates programs like Art In The Forest of Flamingo Contemporary Art Museum: “In my experience, Art In The Forest is a very good project, especially in three points. First, the selection of artists is very high quality. Almost all skilled artists who have contributed to Vietnamese sculpture in the past 10 years have participated. Second, the project also expands international exchanges, inviting many prestigious foreign artists. I know some of them - they say they are really happy to create in a natural, green, and close space like Flamingo. Third, the work of preserving and conserving works here is very good. The works are respected, not encroached or have their landscape changed.”

The artist hopes that in the future, the project will be further expanded to the public - so that everyone, especially the young, will have the opportunity to access contemporary art more directly. That is Art In The Forest's greatest contribution and dedication to the community.

Now, “The Iron Bird in the Quiet Space” has returned to the lawn of Dai Lai pine forest. Every day, visitors will pass by here: couples holding hands, children playing and running. The familiar yet strange iron bird will become a part of the living space, constantly stirring up the emotions and thoughts of the audience. The distance between the artist and the public, therefore, will be closer than ever…

Art In The Forest (AIF) is a visual art program initiated by Flamingo Holdings in 2015 with the desire to bring art out of traditional exhibition spaces, to blend with nature and get closer to the public.

The project has been honored many times by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the Top 5 typical national art events, and has contributed to Flamingo Dai Lai Resort being recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as "The resort with the largest lakeside art space in Vietnam."

In 2020, AIF entered a new phase, Flamingo Contemporary Art Museum (FCAM) - the first contemporary art museum in Vietnam was launched, gathering more than 120 works of many genres.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the journey (2015-2025), FCAM will introduce a new collection of 8 large sculptures by 8 representative artists, continuing to affirm the pioneering role of Flamingo Holdings in developing Vietnamese contemporary art./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nha-dieu-khac-dao-chau-hai-va-noi-co-don-cua-thep-post1078106.vnp