Spontaneously opening a pottery workshop, Korean girl is warmly welcomed by young Vietnamese people

When opening a pottery workshop in Vietnam, Ms. Haru did not promote her shop too widely, so she was quite surprised to see many young Vietnamese people coming here to learn how to make pottery and take pictures of the beautiful products she made.

Open a workshop to save money on attending workshops

One weekend, we stopped by a small alley on Nguyen Huy Tuong Street, Binh Thanh District (HCMC), where the pottery shop of Kim Ha-kyung (commonly known as Haru, 32 years old) is located. Previously, this pottery workshop was located in Phu My Hung urban area, District 7 (HCMC), where many Koreans live. From mid-2023, the pottery workshop was moved to Binh Thanh District, making it more convenient to travel. Haru's pottery workshop has 2 areas including a cafe and a space for learning pottery. This house is filled with sunlight and green trees, with gentle Korean melodies echoing in the ears, creating a relaxing feeling for customers.

Ms. Kim Ha-kyung has been in Vietnam opening a pottery workshop for 8 years.

HUYNH NHI

"Comfortable" is what we felt when we arrived here. Not crowded or noisy, customers coming to Ms. Haru's shop sat at separate corners of the table painting pottery, others kneaded clay, some knitted, someone typed on the computer. Ms. Haru said that 8 years ago she decided to come to Vietnam to live with her parents. Before that, she worked in a Korean design company after graduating from university with a major in ceramics. "In Korea, the pace of life is very busy and bustling, I feel it is not suitable. If I stayed in Korea and lived alone, it would be really difficult, so I decided to move to Vietnam to be closer to my family," Ms. Haru shared. When she first came to Vietnam, because she did not have many friends, she often went to workshops (skill sharing sessions) to learn flower arrangement to relax after work. But because she was so passionate, there was a time when she went to workshops 4 times a week, spending up to 16 million VND a month on this activity. "At that time, my mother said I was spending too much money on workshops, why not open my own workshop to save money? I thought it made sense, so I found a way to open a pottery workshop with operating costs under 16 million VND/month," Ms. Haru said about the birth of the pottery workshop, very spontaneous and coincidental.

What does a good potter need?

According to Ms. Haru, a good potter needs good technique and artistic qualities. "When I was in college, we had many projects that required students to make perfect, smooth products. But I wondered why? I wanted to do something different," she said. Observing Ms. Haru's ceramic products, it can be seen that they are not too perfect or sharp. On the surface of each cup and plate, there are still fingerprints of the craftsman, or lines that are not smooth and even. The patterns of the products are not elaborate or sophisticated, but are simple drawings of dogs, cats, innocent human faces, and neat and simple words with positive meanings. However, that is the unique identity of this product, a bit rustic and simple, and that is what makes many people passionate.

Ceramic products are not smooth or delicately painted, but are still loved by many people.

NVCC

Ms. Haru said that it was a way to converge things around her life through pottery, the decorative motifs from her life and life experiences in her journey of growing up. When she first opened the pottery workshop, Ms. Haru's customers were mainly Koreans living in the area. She did not update her photos on social networking sites, so she was quite surprised when many Vietnamese people came to the workshop to learn how to make pottery, taking pictures of the lovely products she made. Sometimes Ms. Haru said she felt "scared" because the journey in Vietnam was so convenient, completely different from when she was in Korea. But because of that, she loved Vietnam more. Even though she could not speak Vietnamese to explain the products she made, customers could still feel her artistry, her emotions and the things she liked: trees, sunlight, simple things. "When I met Ms. Haru, I felt a lot of positive energy from her. Even though she has a quiet personality, when you meet her, you want to talk and connect, open your heart, and live more happily," commented Nguyen Phan Thao Dung (25 years old), living in Phu Nhuan District (HCMC). Ms. Haru said she feels quite comfortable living in Vietnam because she has family and relatives here. Commenting on herself, the Korean girl said that she is not the type of person who looks back to the past, so she doesn't know if she has any regrets about coming to Vietnam. In the future, she wants to pass on her craft to more young Vietnamese people, so that they can open their own favorite pottery workshop like she did 8 years ago.

Thanhnien.vn

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