Khuc Toai area (Kinh Bac ward, Bac Ninh province), also known colloquially as Choi village, is located next to the Ngu Huyen Khe river and is famous for its carpentry, immortalized in the old folk song "Ma Dong Ho, Choi village crafts". For hundreds of years, generations of artisans here have diligently and persistently pursued their craft to honor national culture, while simultaneously creating works of art that reflect the spirit of the times, bringing a new wave to promote the development of the craft village.
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Distinguished Artisan Nguyen Van Hung is always striving to find new themes for his wood mosaic paintings. |
Distinguished Artisan Nguyen Van Hung (born in 1962) from Khuc Toai area, now over sixty years old, still diligently creates, cutting and assembling disparate pieces of wood into paintings with cultural depth and high artistic value. Born in a traditional craft village, Nguyen Van Hung had a natural affinity for woodworking from a young age. In 1980, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the army, assigned to the infantry protecting the Cao Bang border outpost. Nearly five years in the army instilled in him discipline and perseverance – qualities that later became the foundation of his artistic work. Returning to his hometown in 1984, he resumed his woodworking career, but in a different way.
Historically, Chọi village was a hub for timber trade in the entire Northeast region. Here, after sorting the wood, people would saw off the discarded stumps, roots, and scraps. One afternoon on the banks of the Ngũ Huyện Khê river, noticing the vibrant colors, grain patterns, and natural sheen of these leftover pieces of wood, roots, and stumps—qualities rarely seen in tree trunks—Mr. Hùng and his brother, artisan Nguyễn Văn Viện, conceived the idea of utilizing these "waste products" for creative work. Mr. Viện shared: "From that idea, the two of us gradually developed a new creative approach, transforming lifeless pieces of wood into works of art with composition, theme, and emotion."
In 1985, the first wood mosaic paintings from Mr. Hung's family were sent to the Giang Vo Exhibition Center ( Hanoi ). With the unique and elaborate techniques of the ancient craft village and the meticulous effort put into them, these wood mosaic paintings captivated the public upon their first appearance, winning 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal. This was not only an achievement but also a milestone that encouraged artisan Nguyen Van Hung to continue to delve deeper into his life experiences and cultural knowledge to create even more enduring works.
Wooden jigsaw puzzles are divided into raised and recessed types. Raised puzzles consist of pieces that stand out from the surface; recessed puzzles are made up of purely flat pieces to create a picture with a high degree of flatness. Creating a wooden jigsaw puzzle involves many steps, from finding a theme and sketching on paper to sourcing materials, processing the roots and stems, shaping, and finally assembling the small pieces of wood to form a complete picture with a theme and composition.
According to Mr. Hung, to create a high-quality, artistic painting, the artist must possess a certain level of cultural knowledge along with a keen ability to perceive and analyze colors. A multi-colored painting is assembled from many pieces of wood, each type of wood carrying its own color palette: the warm yellow of jackfruit wood, the deep black of ebony, the reddish-brown of teak, rosewood, and ebony, or the pale white of mahogany and eucalyptus... Thanks to this, in his works, national culture appears truly natural and soulful.
Not only is Mr. Hung a creative individual, but he also contributes to creating livelihoods for many workers in the craft village. In 2022, he was one of the first to establish the Khuc Toai Fine Woodworking Cooperative, bringing together more than 20 members and providing regular employment for dozens of workers. With over 40 years dedicated to the craft, he has created hundreds of works, ranging from landscapes of his hometown, folk life, Quan Ho culture, to Dong Ho paintings on glued wood panels such as "The Mouse Wedding," "Buffalo Herding and Flute Playing," and "Returning Home in Glory." To ensure a stable supply of raw materials, he travels to many places such as Yen Bai, Phu Tho, and Tuyen Quang... searching for tree roots and stumps, and also signs contracts with several carpentry workshops to purchase scrap wood for reuse.
From 2021 to 2024, he had five wood mosaic artworks participating in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program and recognized in the province's OCOP catalog, including: Hung Temple Festival, Kinh Bac Spring Festival, Hanoi - Perspectives in Time, Vietnamese Bronze Drums, Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter. These works have won many high awards at major fairs and exhibitions nationwide. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kinh Bac Ward, the family of Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Van Hung has brought a new breath of fresh air to the craft village with unique artistic wood mosaics. These are also the first products in Khuc Toai to participate in the OCOP program, creating a foundation for the locality to have more products participate, contributing to elevating the status of traditional products.
Nowadays, more and more people are becoming aware of the exquisite, vibrant yet familiar and simple style of wood mosaic art. These paintings are not only found in the village of Chọi but have also traveled with customers to many countries such as Thailand, Canada, and several Eastern European nations. In 2020, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung was awarded the title of "Outstanding Artisan" by the President of Vietnam – a well-deserved recognition for a man who has quietly and diligently awakened the cultural colors from the rustic and simple wood grain of his homeland.
Text and photos: Vu Thang
Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/tu-ben-song-que-den-tranh-ghep-go-duom-hon-dan-toc-postid437136.bbg
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