In a bid to preserve and introduce Muong culture to a wider audience across the country, in August, artist Vu Duc Hieu officially brought to the capital city pottery works inspired by the Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh province by creating a rich cultural space at 85 Nhat Chieu street in Tay Ho district.
Over 130 Muong-inspired pottery works displayed at 85 Nhat Chieu street in Tay Ho district of Hanoi.
The special pottery line came into existence in September 2014 when Hieu chose the name of "Gom Muong (Muong pottery)” for his related workshop and ceramic works completed at the Muong Cultural Space Museum at 202 Tay Tien Street, Thai Binh ward, Hoa Binh city.
Unlike other ceramics on the market, the line does not follow any preset patterns, drawing inspiration mainly from the history, culture, members, and land of the Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh. Remarkably, over 90% of the materials used in crafting and firing the pottery, such as clay, ash glaze additives, and other distinctive ingredients, are sourced locally, particularly from the areas surrounding the museum. Each Muong-inspired pottery piece embodies the soul and emotions of the artist, narrating stories of the Muong culture and its people.
Art researcher Vu Huy Thong remarked, from the raw materials of the earth, through the skilled hands of the artists, the pottery transcends the limits of materials, becoming a unique art form that reflects the blend of tradition and modernity as well as the local and the global traits.
Talking about his passion, Hieu shared, "As an artist, I want culture and art to develop together and use cultural history to create artistic stories. Over the past decade, we've regularly organised workshops and art festivals, both at home and abroad to introduce our Muong pottery. Beyond fostering exchanges and learning, my greatest hope is that artists will explore the local culture of the Muong people and Vietnamese culture at large".
He noted that when artists find inspiration there and produce their art, they help extend the Muong culture to communities at home and abroad.
After ten years of tireless efforts, his pottery line has made significant strides, gradually establishing a name in the Vietnamese ceramic industry. In 2014, its first pieces were showcased at an exhibition at 83 Xuan Dieu, Hanoi. In 2017, a related workshop brought together over 30 sculptors and painters passionate about ceramics from various places to create works on-site, leaving behind valuable experiences, new methods, and high-quality products.
To bring Muong-inspired pottery closer to art lovers in Hanoi, the "Mo xuong gom Muong (Opening the Muong pottery workshop)" event in August 2024 was meticulously prepared by Hieu and his colleagues, marking the 10th anniversary of the workshop’s operations and displaying more 130 selected works from various artists at the workshop over the past decade.
On October 26th, the GNI Office in Hoa Binh city organized the Festival developing Students’ Capacity. There was the attendance of the representatives of the parents, the teachers and the students of Dan Chu, Thai Binh, Thinh Lang, Thong Nhat, and Yen Mong high schools.
The mountainous district of Mai Chau has been preserving and promoting traditional cultural values of ethnic miniority groups in association with the development of community-based tourism effectively.
Hoa Binh, a gateway to the Northwestern region, is home to six main ethnic groups, namely Muong, Kinh, Tay, Thai, Dao and Mong, of whom the Muong people account for about 64%. In recent years, with the efforts of Party committees and administrations at all levels and ethnic minorities, the province has achieved encouraging results in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values.
In Muong Chieng commune, Da Bac district, many people know Sa Van Cam, who is dedicated to preserving and promoting ancient Tay script. He has collected, documented and opened classes to teach this script, contributing to the preservation of the Tay ethnic cultural values in Muong Chieng commune and Hoa Binh province.
Established in 2013, Chieng Chau Brocade Weaving and Service Cooperative (Chieng Chau Commune, Mai Chau) now has 21 members and around 80 additional employees outside the cooperative working on orders. After overcoming many challenges, the cooperative has gradually asserted its position in the market, providing the stable jobs for many Thai ethnic women in the commune. Recently, with the dedication and determination, these Thai women have continuously innovated and worked hard to preserve their traditional craft, bringing culturally rich products to both domestic and international tourists.