Mr. Tang Minh Thuan turns discarded logs into valuable wood carvings - Photo: TRAN HUONG
Hundreds of rough logs or old utensils have been carved into vivid wood carvings by Mr. Tang Minh Thuan (35 years old, residing in Mang Den town, Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province).
Electrician becomes wood carving artist
Mr. Thuan was born into a poor family. In 10th grade, he dropped out of school to work for an electrical shop.
In 2008, while delivering an air compressor, he was fascinated when he saw his customer sculpting a dragon.
To satisfy his hobby, he went to scrap dealers to buy old iron and steel to grind into sculpting tools.
Taking his first steps, he searched around the garden and went to the stream to collect "leftover" pieces of wood, and worked hard to carve them in a corner of his small yard.
Ideas kept popping up in his head, making him forget to eat and work at the store many days.
"When I first started out, I found softwood trees and used tools to carve them, even trees that were still alive around the garden. One day, a plum tree in front of my brother's house was broken by a storm, so I carved a statue of a fairy stroking his beard. My brother saw the statue's face looking straight into the house and was so scared that he yelled at me," Thuan recalls.
Mr. Thuan carved discarded wooden cutting boards into valuable paintings - Photo: Character provided
In 2012, Mr. Thuan quit his job at the electrical shop to focus on wood carving. In addition to wood carving, Mr. Thuan also sculpts figures and statues according to customers' needs.
According to Mr. Thuan, the raw materials he aims for are driftwood along rivers and streams, or old household items such as mortars, pestles, pepper poles, house pillars, cutting boards, pig troughs, etc.
For him, these types of wood are both low cost and easy to find, save resources and are of very good quality.
Each of Mr. Thuan's works is meticulously sculpted in every detail - Photo: TRAN HUONG
Unique and strange sculpture
"Usually, people use fire to heat the carving after it's done. If it's not done well, it will look less authentic. For me, to make the painting look older, it has to go through many stages," Thuan shared.
According to him, after carving, gasoline will be poured on the painting and then burned. At this stage, the painting needs to be placed horizontally on a flat surface, otherwise the painting will burn immediately if placed at an angle.
Next, use white gasoline for the wood industry mixed with black starch in the correct ratio and lightly rub it on the surface of the painting. When the painting is dry, use sandpaper to create light and dark levels... to get the old color scheme over time but more realistic and soulful.
Old items of ethnic minorities are carved into portraits by Mr. Thuan - Photo: TRAN HUONG
Mr. Thuan said that carving requires skill, creativity and an artistic eye. In particular, the craftsman must know how to take advantage of the shape and color of the wood block to create a vivid image.
Ms. Phan Kieu Thuong (38 years old, Kon Tum City, a wood art business owner) said that Mr. Thuan has a special way of carving with many different genres and themes. Each detail of Mr. Thuan's work is so delicately crafted that she is interested in ordering it for business, especially the theme of the Central Highlands.
According to Ms. Thuong, Mr. Thuan's products are completely handmade, unique and have a strong personal style and mark.
In particular, Mr. Thuan often carves portraits of village elders, mothers, women and children in the Central Highlands. This type of painting is difficult to create because it depends on the expression on the face, requiring the artisan to meticulously sculpt every detail, every wrinkle...
"Customers are very satisfied, everyone praises the uniqueness, calling it realistic, looking at it in real life is exactly like in the painting" - Ms. Thuong confided.
Mr. Thuan enthusiastically teaches ethnic minority students - Photo: TRAN HUONG
Free vocational training, selling paintings for charity
Over the years, Mr. Thuan has taught free vocational training to dozens of ethnic minorities, helping them find jobs and earn extra income. He has recently opened a workshop in Tan Lap commune, Kon Ray district to teach vocational training to many people who are interested in and passionate about carving.
In addition, every year Mr. Thuan sells several paintings to raise funds for charity, helping disadvantaged people in the locality.
Mr. Chau Van Lam - Chairman of Mang Den Town People's Committee - said that the locality recognized Mr. Thuan's meaningful volunteer work in recent years. Especially the free vocational training, creating jobs for people in remote areas to earn extra income. Thereby, contributing to changing the thinking and working style of ethnic minority areas.
"In the coming time, Mang Den town will continue to pay attention and create conditions for Mr. Thuan's products to participate in exhibitions when planning to organize cultural and tourism events of the district," said Mr. Lam.
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