Spring embroidery on silk

Artisan Nguyen Thi Hang (on the left) demonstrates embroidery techniques on silk. (Photo: THANH NAM)

Beyond their exquisite craftsmanship and elegant beauty, the artisans' works evoke the warm spirit and stories of spring through the enduring value of keeping the embroidery craft alive throughout its history.

Many people are familiar with artisan Nguyen Thi Hang in Phuc Son commune ( Hanoi ), sitting beside her familiar embroidery frame with silk threads silently intertwined over the years. But these early spring days, she sits embroidering amidst the bustling streets of the old town, surrounded by passersby. Whether in a quiet or lively setting, the artisan remains calm, meticulous, and gentle with each stitch.

Born and raised in a region renowned for its embroidery, Ms. Hang deeply understands the memories, family traditions, and the transmission of the craft through generations. Her childhood was filled with moments spent with her grandmother and mother, admiring each stitch as they shared stories of patience and beauty. Unlike many other crafts, embroidery demands alertness, perseverance, and above all, a calm state of mind. Therefore, for her, embroidery, besides skill, is also a way of life.

The idea of hand embroidery on silk paintings originated from initial, hesitant experiments. From discarded paintings and countless rework attempts, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang and her husband discovered a new creative method: using painting as the foundation for form and hand embroidery to provide emotional depth. The soft, rich colors of the silk paintings, combined with shimmering silk threads, create a visual space that is both real and dreamlike, both traditional and modern. In this space, the painting becomes a form of re-creation. Each wave, ray of sunlight, flower petal, temple roof, banyan tree… appears through the rhythm of the needle and the subtle vibration of the thread.

Thanks to this combination, the artist's embroidery possesses a unique beauty, unlike traditional embroidery, and does not blend into pure painting.

In embroidery, spring is a beautiful theme that also requires a process of accumulation and refinement in both emotion and technique. Spring in the embroidery of artist Nguyen Thi Hang is depicted through subtle color transitions and the very gentle vibration of the silk threads on the silk fabric. To make the delicate peach blossoms seem to flutter in the wind, or to evoke the movement of people and the fresh atmosphere of spring… the embroiderer must “read” the light and rhythm, as Ms. Hang teaches her apprentices: “Sparse stitches evoke the morning dew, dense stitches retain the morning sun, and the alternating stitches, like the breath of plants in their rebirth, are like the rhythm of life.”

For some embroidered paintings, she spends weeks preparing the silk background to achieve the desired transparency and depth before daring to place the first stitch, because even a small discrepancy can shatter the delicate spring scene. That's why, for this female artist, embroidering spring isn't just about the scenery; it's about capturing the full bloom and vitality of the season in every thread.

In the embroidery of artist Nguyen Thi Hang, spring always embodies the image of a woman. Like the embroidery craft itself, which has been associated with the hands of mothers and grandmothers for generations, each stitch across the silk allows one to deeply appreciate the beauty and the destinies of the women who have wholeheartedly nurtured this craft.

In her works, spring is a theme imbued with profound spiritual value. Spring is depicted through the tranquil lotus flower, in the fresh sunlight, and through the One Pillar Pagoda silently reflecting its image in the water. It is an inner spring, helping people find balance, cultivate goodness, and harmonize with nature.

For her, spring embroidery is also about embroidering faith in the rebirth of a traditional craft, because each completed picture is not only a work of art but also provides an answer to the question: How can embroidery survive in modern life?

Not content with just creating her own designs, Nguyen Thi Hang proactively took the embroidery craft beyond the confines of the traditional village. From her initial workshop, in early 2024, she and her husband transformed it into a hand embroidery cooperative, integrating modern thinking into the management of traditional culture. With approximately 50 local workers, the cooperative has created stable livelihoods for many people, maintaining the lifeblood of the craft village. The monthly income of 7-10 million VND for embroiderers is a positive sign, demonstrating that traditional crafts can thrive if properly organized and developed. In just a few years, many of the cooperative's flagship products have received OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification and are available in markets across Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea, and many Southeast Asian countries.

In the opinion of this female artisan, embroidery requires not only skillful hands but also a refined soul. She shared: "A woman's soul is the most important element in creating a soulful embroidered picture."

Driven by this spirit, in addition to production, she dedicates much effort and emotion to passing on her craft. Free classes for the younger generation and videos sharing the embroidery process on digital platforms not only promote the products but also instill a love and understanding of embroidery in the community. Without keeping her skills or secrets to herself, the artisan believes that the craft only truly thrives when there are successors.

Looking back on her more than 20 years dedicated to the craft, one can see the evolution of traditional village culture in the modern era. Artisans have transitioned from small-scale production to cooperatives, from purely handcrafted to creative art combined with traditional elements, reaching for the international market. Spring on the silk fabric is therefore also a new season for the traditional craft, finding a harmonious balance between the beauty of the past and contemporary sensibilities. As each needle silently glides across the silk, each thread glistening in the new sunlight, hope remains abundant, fueled by the patient dedication of those who work tirelessly day and night.

MAI LU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/theu-mua-xuan-tren-lua-post941579.html