Artisan creates 2022 tiger sculptures to welcome New Year 2022
NDO – These days, artisan Nguyen Tan Phat from Duong Lam Village, Son Tay Town, Hanoi, is busy with a
HANOI – To celebrate the New Year of the Tiger, artisan Nguyen Tan Phat has painstakingly crafted 2,022 unique tiger works from jackfruit wood.
Inside the 50 m2 factory in Son Tay town, artist Nguyen Tan Phat is hard at work crafting unique tiger works.
“I came up with the idea two years ago and started working on it three months before the 2022 Lunar New Year,” Phat said, adding that he had done more than 500 works.
The main material to make unique tiger works is mainly jackfruit wood combined with longan wood, laterite and lacquer.
Before starting to shape, Mr. Phat came up with the idea of the model on the ground first. “Due to making on fresh wood, it takes time to dry after chiseling and shaping,” the artist shared.
To limit scratches, Mr. Phat uses a torch to burn through the product. In 2010, he made 1,010 buffalo statues and exhibited them in the ancient city of Son Tay.
There are “tiger men” who only need to be painted, but many works are lacquered inlaid with chicken eggshells and abalone shells. In order to make 2,022 tigers on this occasion, Phat had to ask for the help of three other artisans.
Once the material is inlaid, the artisans move on to the color coating process. With traditional lacquer, they have to paint several layers, then apply silver and gold foil. “There are about 8 to 10 layers of color, then grind it carefully, then cover it with a glossy finish,” said Phat.
After many stages, the unique tiger works gradually formed.
The unique tiger works are divided into two groups of shapes, including the realistic group following the real tiger shape and the stylized block group.
In a small room in the ancient village of Duong Lam, Mr. Phat displays many finished works of all shapes and sizes. “In order to pose for more than 2,000 unique works, I had to search for many references, and carefully study history and culture,” Phat said.
With an average production progress of 300 to 500 works per month, Phat hopes to complete 2,022 unique tiger works by April 2022 to organize the exhibition.
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