Event No. 1: “Those Hands that Sew the Leaves” in Project “Reimagine The Artist/Artisan”

Talk: Thu 30 Jun 2016, 7 pm
Exhibition: 30 Jun – 03 Jul 2016, 10 am – 5 pm
Six Space

From the organizer:

Come to the first event ‘Those Hands that Sew the Leaves’ in a series of events produced throughout the project Reimagine The Artist /Artisan by Six Space in 2016. The event is a conversation between nón-lá artisan Nghiem Phu Luan and visual artist Nguyen Huy An. During the talk, artisan Nghiem Phu Luan will share about Vietnamese nón-lá history through the stories of Tri Le craft village, where he resides, the transformation of form, style and material of products over time, as well as history of Cát hats and Lâm Xung hats. Artist Huy An will bring up questions and conversation from the perspective of an artist.

Besides, the talk will also honorably present Mrs. Vu Thi Hong, mother of artisan Nghiem Phu Luan, who will perform the art of making nón-lá. An exhibition of relevant materials, tools and products with a sense of timeline from the past to present will happen during and after the talk.

Exhibition includes:

1. Materials: 3 types of leaves, palm leaves, sugar-cane leaves
2. Tools: vanh, thread, needles, moulds.
3. Nón from different times
4. Hats from different times

ABOUT ARTISAN NGHIEM PHU LUAN

Nghiem Phu Luan is the son of Artisan Nghiêm Xuân Đáo, one of the oldest families for traditional nón-lá & hat making in Tri Le village (Tan Uoc, Thanh Oai, Hanoi). He has continued this job from his family since the age of 4, which has made it 48 years up to now. Nghiem Phu Luan and his father also have successfully developed and expanded the creation of palm-leaf hats which have been popular products for years. Mr. Luan himself has been an active part-taker in ancient nón, quai-thao nón, thúng nón restoration projects. He also has been invited to join prop crews for films such as: Lều Chõng, Long Thành Cầm Giả Ca, Đinh Tiên Hoàng Đế. Currently he is collaborating with Haiphong Film Studio to make props for the show Phật Hoàng Trần Nhân Tông.

ABOUT ARTIST NGUYEN HUY AN

Born in 1982 in Hanoi and graduated from the Fine Art University in 2008, Nguyen Huy An is considered the most dynamic and innovative artists of his generation. Huy An’s work has been a process of trying to dig into the darkness of psychology. From installations, performance art to paintings and sculptures, Huy An’s works are highly acclaimed by international art critics and curators for their introspective, simple and strong concepts. Huy An has participated in a number of exhibitions and performance art festivals in Vietnam and internationally. He has appeared, either solo or with the performance art group Phu Luc (Appendix) – which he co-founded in 2010 – in performance art festivals in Vietnam, Japan and Singapore and in important exhibitions such as LIMDIM in Oslo, Norway, Sounds of Dust in 943 Studio Kunming, China and the unprecedented multi-disciplinary exhibition ‘Skylines with Flying People’ in Hanoi in 2012.[29]

Huy An has participated in a number of exhibitions and performance art festivals including 78 rhythms, Galerie Quynh, Vietnam (2014); Disrupted Choreographies, Carré d’Art – Musée d’Art Contemporain, Nîmes, France (2014); If The World Changed, Singapore Biennale (2013); Sounds of dust (somniloquy), 943 Studio Kunming, China (2011)…

ABOUT PROJECT REIMAGINE THE ARTIST/ARTISAN

Created and developed by Six Space as inspired from Vietnamese traditional craft villages, the project questions the roles of artisans and artists in the creative process of making craft products and arts in contemporary social situations.

As artisanal practices reaffirm and define cultural identity and the rich craft heritage of Vietnam, we wish to highlight the importance of not only sustaining and developing these traditions but also creating inspirational works from this invaluable source.

Project includes research activities, mapping handicraft villages and residency program of local artists in handicraft villages.

The talk will be held in Vietnamese.

Free entrance.