Not only does it affirm the heritage status of the Southeast region, the renowned Bien Hoa pottery also becomes an artistic bridge connecting and spreading the cultural values of Thang Long - Hanoi .
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| Handicraft products made from Bien Hoa pottery reach domestic and international markets, including Hanoi. |
When earth and fire tell stories of culture
Although geographically distant, Hanoi and Dong Nai have long been linked by historical currents through art and culture. One of these special bonds is forged from earth, fire, and the hands of pottery artisans. In 2010, as the whole country celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, the Ceramic Road along the Red River was built as a unique community art space. Ceramics from many regions converged in Hanoi, telling different stories about the country, its people, and Vietnamese culture.
According to artist Mai Van Nhon, Chairman of the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association of Dong Nai City, in 2010, when Hanoi invited Dong Nai to participate in the Ceramic Road project along the Red River, he had the honor of working with artisans and lecturers from the Ceramics and Sculpture Department of the Dong Nai College of Decorative Arts to create a 50-meter-long ceramic mural. The work was implemented in collaboration with colleagues from the North, adding another "slice" of Dong Nai culture into the artistic space of the capital.
“At that time, I was still a civil servant, so creating a large-scale artwork within a tight timeframe was a challenge. We chose to divide the work into several parts, completing them in Dong Nai and then transporting them to Hanoi for assembly and completion. Thanks to this, Bien Hoa ceramics had the opportunity to integrate into the cultural flow of Thang Long - Hanoi, becoming part of the shared story of Vietnam and its people,” Mr. Nhon shared.
What makes Dong Nai's ceramic paintings special is not their size, but the story they tell through the language of earth and fire. Against the backdrop of Bien Hoa ceramics, a dynamic and creative Dong Nai emerges through iconic images such as the Tran Bien Temple of Literature, industrial zones, rubber trees, and specialty fruits. A particularly emotionally charged highlight is the image of General Huynh Van Nghe with his two lines of poetry: “Since the time we wielded swords to conquer new lands / A thousand years of longing for Thang Long.” From the southern lands, the verses turn towards Thang Long – Hanoi, a continuation of historical memory, expressing the Dong Nai people's affection for their national roots.
Following the milestone of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, this creative tradition continued to be pursued by artist Mai Van Nhon. From mosaic ceramic paintings, he expanded his expressive range, transforming Bien Hoa ceramics into a means of storytelling about Vietnamese culture, history, land, and people. In 2011, at an art exhibition themed: "The Spirit of Dong Nai - A Thousand Years of Thang Long Hanoi," his work "Mother of the Island" won first prize. Instead of using grand symbolic imagery, the work chose the image of a Southern Vietnamese mother with a gentle face, a kind smile, and eyes full of love.
Also in Hanoi, a ceramic mosaic portrait of the 21 leaders of the APEC 2017 economies by artist Mai Van Nhon was chosen as a gift for the APEC leaders. In August 2024, the work "Old Souls of Old Streets" by artist Mai Van Nhon was honored to be selected by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association to participate in the Regional Fine Arts Exhibition VII. The painting depicts the portrait of the renowned painter Bui Xuan Phai, a symbol of love for Hanoi's old town. The work combines ceramic, acrylic, and oil paint, evoking nostalgia for the past and the aspiration to preserve heritage amidst the flow of modernity.
Seventy-two years have passed since the Liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2026), yet the cultural flow of Thang Long - Hanoi continues to converge and spread far and wide. On each smooth piece of Bien Hoa pottery, covered with its characteristic bronze-green glaze, the story of love for homeland and country, and the bridge connecting North and South, continues to be written. Bien Hoa pottery is not just about earth and fire; it has become an ambassador carrying the heartbeat of the Dong Nai region, blending with the thousand-year-old culture of Thang Long - Hanoi.
Promoting and spreading the knowledge of Bien Hoa ceramics.
Besides the artworks present in cultural spaces in Hanoi, Bien Hoa ceramics continue their journey further afield with products that are close to everyday life. Artists and artisans constantly explore new designs, functions, and ways of expression, so that the products of the craft village both retain the hallmarks of traditional craftsmanship and meet the needs and tastes of contemporary society.
In Bien Hoa ward, artisan Hoang Ngoc Hien, owner of Hien Nam pottery workshop, dedicates much of his passion to preserving the craft and finding new directions for product development. From shaping techniques, incised carving, and relief sculpting to glaze treatment methods, Mr. Hien and his workers create many products for interior and exterior decoration, gardening, household items, and handcrafted art.
According to artisan Hoang Ngoc Hien, pottery is not an inanimate object. Through the hands of the craftsman, the clay is shaped, fired, and then bears the imprint of the person who made it. Therefore, each pottery product has its own story. Bringing Bien Hoa pottery to Hanoi is not simply about expanding the market, but also a process of allowing a local cultural value to come into contact with another cultural space, thereby creating new encounters.
Following the same approach, Master Dinh Cong Viet Khoi, lecturer in the Ceramics - Sculpture Department of Dong Nai College of Decorative Arts, chose to incorporate cultural values into applied art products. Using Bien Hoa ceramics, he created many products such as Thanh Long wine bottles and Nam Hue pomelo wine bottles. These products were showcased by the Dong Nai City Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center and the Dong Nai Culture and Film Center at fairs and exhibitions in Hanoi and many other localities nationwide.
Not content with simply creating products with local characteristics, artisan Dinh Cong Viet Khoi also seeks to expand the visual language of Bien Hoa pottery through folk cultural themes. Village temple motifs and lines reminiscent of Hanoi's Hang Trong folk paintings are incorporated into his works, creating a meeting point between the two cultural spaces on the same material. According to Mr. Khoi, each time Bien Hoa pottery appears in a new place, it's another opportunity for viewers to learn about the pottery craft and better understand the cultural values embedded in each product.
For over a century, Bien Hoa pottery has forged its own unique identity through a combination of craftsmanship, creative thinking, and the love of the craft of generations of artisans and artists. Amidst contemporary life, the journey of bringing pottery closer to the public is also a way to preserve and retell the memories of a region and a traditional craft in new forms. From Dong Nai to Thang Long - Hanoi, stories of history, culture, people, and land continue to spread, adding another color to the diverse tapestry of Vietnamese culture.
My Ny
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202610/thang-long-ha-noi-บน-gom-bien-hoa-9682306/
