Unique jobs: Amazed by the world of Taboo bamboo

Through the talented hands of Mr. Vo Tan Tan (46 years old, residing in Thanh Tam village, Cam Thanh commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam), seemingly lifeless bamboo pieces have turned into giant, lifelike shrimps, crabs, fish, insects...

MASTER OF BAMBOO STYLE

10 years ago, I met Mr. Vo Tan Tan when he started to become famous for his rather “arrogant” creations: using old bamboo stems to craft bicycle frames. This time, I came back to hear him tell the story of the new life of bamboo when he “magically” transformed this material into handicrafts that amaze viewers with their sophistication and uniqueness… “In 2018, from only specializing in making bamboo bicycle frames, I decided to diversify my products with the determination to be able to do anything and make use of everything that bamboo has to offer,” said Mr. Tan.

Những nghề độc lạ: Kinh ngạc với thế giới tre Taboo- Ảnh 1. — *Bamboo fireflies were made by Mr. Vo Tan Tan and his team of workers over many months. PHOTO: HOANG SON*

Taking me on a tour of the space called Taboo Bamboo with a plethora of souvenirs, Mr. Tan told me about bamboo handicrafts with a series of designs designed by him that have won many high prizes in competitions. But the pinnacle of bamboo crafting art must be the animal models that he and his team have made in the past few years. Indeed, when standing in front of a firefly made from bamboo with a magnification ratio of about 1,000 times, I was extremely surprised at its realism. Each leg, eye, wing... were meticulously depicted by Mr. Tan in every detail. "To evoke emotions in the viewer, the proportions must be accurate. The most important thing is to keep the bamboo color, so that when looking at it, people will recognize it as bamboo...", he shared.

Next to the firefly are other giant animals also made from bamboo, such as bees, dolphins, flying fish, etc. All of these models were simulated by Mr. Tan from real animals with each part carefully crafted. For example, the bee's eyes are woven from bamboo strips bent into an arch, with lights placed inside to create a lighting effect. The bee's body and bamboo surface are burned to create black, ivory, etc. colors, looking like a real bee.

When he first started working, Mr. Tan chose a koi fish as the model. After completion, many people who came to see it were amazed because it was so similar to the original. As if motivated, he continued to conquer more difficult animal models with more details. Although he knew that he would face many difficulties, with his nature of overcoming limits, Mr. Tan created many "huge" models, such as a 2.25 m tall crab, a 4 m long shrimp, a 2.5 m tall mantis...

REACHING ARTISTIC LEVELS

“In modern life, bamboo has become more and more useful with many supporting technologies. For example, glue allows the creation of large bamboo blocks to make models of animals as mentioned above…”, Mr. Tan said and concluded: “If bamboo handicrafts require patience from the craftsman, then making large models requires even more patience, from the time of coming up with the idea to cutting the bamboo…” Therefore, each time he orders models, he has to spend many days looking for documents, images, clips… about the animal he wants to make. He painstakingly researches to come up with the standard size of each part, so that when the joints are made, the model is balanced. “If the customer wants to make a crab, which crab is beautiful, how are the crab’s teeth arranged, how is the right crab’s claw different from the left one… Everything has to be carefully researched,” he said.

Những nghề độc lạ: Kinh ngạc với thế giới tre Taboo- Ảnh 2. — *The bee model is made from parts of a bamboo tree, very unique. PHOTO: HOANG SON*

Depending on the customer's requirements and difficulty, each model has a different completion time, on average from 2 to 3 months. The market for these models is quite picky, because the price is high, fluctuating around 100 million VND/product. However, when witnessing the models with their own eyes, many restaurant, hotel, resort owners... across the country do not hesitate to order to create a highlight for their establishments. Even knowing the skillful craftsmanship in making animals from bamboo, a museum in France on fine arts and crafts asked Mr. Tan to make a large animal to bring back for display.

As if understanding my question, Mr. Tan explained: “To make the “huge” model easy to transport, even abroad, I apply the modular design principle. The small independent parts will be packaged for delivery to customers. They just need to read the instructions and assemble easily… I am making a 4 m long, 2 m high flying phoenix in this style”. Some people think that bamboo is cheap, so each model costs around a hundred million VND, which is quite “expensive”. However, according to Mr. Tan, with a team of 6 workers and months of processing time to achieve high aesthetics, the price for each model is also a price that carries a lot of artistic value.

“Each product is made by the efforts of many people, many days… Because it cannot be mass produced and is handmade, each product has a unique value. There are some designs that cannot be reproduced even if requested by customers. When the potential is strong enough, I will develop the product in the direction of handicraft art. With the durability of bamboo after processing, it will no longer be a product but a work of art that will last over time… The stature of Vietnamese bamboo must be honored,” Mr. Tan confided. (to be continued)