Reviving traditional crafts for young generations

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Reviving traditional crafts for young generations

To ensure the survival of traditional Vietnamese crafts and culture in future generations, the Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design (VFCD) 2020 provided a platform for Vietnamese and foreigners to gain insights into Vietnamese folk art forms.

A festival of Vietnamese traditional culture enthusiasts

Through the Experience lacquer painting with artisan Vu Huy Men workshop at Ha Thai traditional lacquer painting village in Hanoi, culture enthusiasts were able to experience what it felt like to be Vietnamese craftsmen.

Vietnamese culture enthusiasts had wonderful experiences at the Experience lacquer painting with artisan Vu Huy Men workshop.

Vietnamese culture enthusiasts had wonderful experiences at the Experience lacquer painting with artisan Vu Huy Men workshop.

The artisan Vu Huy Men shared the history of lacquer art painting and instructed participants to complete artwork using traditional techniques and substitute materials.

Mr Men described the workshop experience as a “beautiful and exciting memory for each person”, especially young people who were able to create a lacquer painting for the first time.

"The participants really enjoyed the hands-on experience with lacquer art,” Mr Men said.

“Ha Thai village has preserved and developed this traditional craft for the past 200 years.

“I hope that lacquer art will remain a part of the unique culture for all Vietnamese people.”

Besides lacquer art, Assemble folk paintings from recycled fabrics, a workshop run by VỤN art helped to bring a greater understanding of Vietnamese culture by using waste fabrics in assembling Vietnamese folk paintings.

Young audiences discussed how to preserve Vietnamese traditional art and culture, as well as contribute to Vietnam’s society in general.

Young audiences discussed how to preserve Vietnamese traditional art and culture, as well as contribute to Vietnam’s society in general.

One of the most interesting experiences of the festival was a visit to the Vietnamese Cheo Theatre where participants enjoyed the traditional folk-art performance by local artists, and discussed how to preserve Vietnamese traditional art and culture as well as contribute to Vietnam’s society in general

During the half-day workshop, participants which included higher education students, worked in teams to share the possibilities of design thinking to generate creative solutions to bring the art of Cheo closer to the youth.

Promoting Vietnamese artists to the world

As part of the festival, Vietnamese artists had opportunities to share their craft internationally through Skilled Hands - Shared Culture, a joint online exhibition between Vietnamese and Australia artists.

The exhibition explored the important role of art, craft and design practices in contemporary life.

The Embroidery of Hoi An stories exhibition is made by Vietnamese artist Pham Thi Ngoc Tram

The Embroidery of Hoi An stories exhibition is made by Vietnamese artist Pham Thi Ngoc Tram

Many other Vietnamese artists presented local traditional art forms, including handicraft, pottery, and traditional indigo dyeing.

The Embroidery of Hoi An stories exhibition, by artist Pham Thi Ngoc Tram featured the beauty of Vietnamese villages and urban areas at the festival, and Australian artist Muhubo Salieman shared a beautiful wall hanging made entirely of wool that has similarities to Vietnamese culture.

Australian artist Muhubo Salieman shared a beautiful wall hanging made entirely of wool.

Australian artist Muhubo Salieman shared a beautiful wall hanging made entirely of wool.

Event co-organiser and representative of RMIT Contemporary Art & Social Transformation (CAST) Research Group Dr Grace McQuilten said that through these collaborations, the artists and craftspeople in the exhibitions demonstrated how diverse ongoing practices could sustain communities through social engagement, evolving and adapting artistic and cultural practices, and stimulating new creative economies.

The exhibition will be open until 12 March 2021.

Nurturing the seeds of Vietnamese talents

RMIT Dean of School of Communication & Design Professor Julia Gaimster and Board of Organisers representative emphasised the necessity to nurture and promote Vietnamese talents and creativity.

“The creative and cultural industries play a key role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam and in order to compete on the world stage, the country needs to nurture and showcase its creative talent,” Professor Gaimster said.

“I hope that the festival will help move the global perception of ‘made in Vietnam’ to ‘created, innovated and designed in Vietnam’.”

These creative and cultural events were part of the VFCD 2020, a key program within RMIT’s 20^th anniversary celebrations in Vietnam.

Story: Thuy Le

Communication and design

30 November 2020

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