To he artisan Dang Van Hau: The person who "breathes life" into the dough, preserving the village's cultural heritage

From leftover dough to deep love for the profession

What chance brought Dang Van Hau to making to he? That question evoked sweet childhood memories in him. He said that since the year 2000, he has officially been attached to the traditional profession of Xuan La village, where in the past, the whole village lived by making to he. “When I was a child, like many other children, I often picked up leftover dough from my grandfather and father to make my favorite characters,” he recalled with a smile.

 

His love for to he is imbued with family tradition. Photo: NVCC

In his family, from his maternal grandfather, paternal grandfather to his father, everyone was devoted to making dough figurines. The person who had the deepest influence on his style of creating to he figurines was his maternal grandfather. Gradually, the love for colorful dough balls and the ability to transform them into countless shapes seeped into the heart of the young Hau without him realizing it.

Not only stopping at inheritance, the young artisan is always proactive in researching and learning, especially from cultural researchers to understand more deeply about the identity of folk culture, about the traditional values ​​hidden in each type of dough. "Through discussions with experts, I understand more about the cultural space, about the spirit of folk art, helping my products become more standard and meaningful," he shared.

 

Young artists always strive to create the most beautiful breeds. Photo: NVCC

Efforts to "give new clothes" to traditional to he

Faced with the strong development of technological toys from 2008-2010, artisan Dang Van Hau and his colleagues have made constant efforts to keep to he’s vitality. He believes that to he has a unique traditional value that cannot be mixed with any other form of entertainment. In addition to preserving traditional products, he also actively develops new designs that suit the tastes of customers of all ages.

 

His clay figurines are all full of creativity and lifelike.

Typically, in 2018-2019, he collaborated with illustrator Cam Anh to create a set of Mid-Autumn Festival figurines in a modern chibi style, close to young people. He also collaborated with many designers to create figurines that are both traditional and can become unique souvenirs for tourists.

He is researching and producing a set of alphabet and animal figurines.

“We always encourage students to approach new trends, but still retain the spirit of traditional to he,” Mr. Hau shared. He also introduced creative ideas such as educational toys, combining to he with learning English through animal images, creating a learning method that is both interesting and effective.

Concerns and aspirations to pass on the torch to the next generation

Currently, Mr. Hau is enthusiastically training 5 official students. He also regularly opens extracurricular vocational classes for students, creating conditions for them to get acquainted with dough, mold the simplest shapes and have interesting experiences with traditional crafts. Dang Thai Son (born in 2007), a student who has been with him for more than 3 years, shared: "What made me come here to learn from Mr. Hau is because my family used to follow this traditional craft, so I also want to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors and contribute to the development of the craft village."

 

Dang Thai Son is a student who has studied with Mr. Hau for 3 years.

“In the craft village, there is great competition with garment and mechanical workshops because those jobs are learned faster than making figurines. Learning figurines requires time and talent, so supporting students during their apprenticeship is very important,” Hau confided. Although there is no salary support for students, he still tries to encourage them with a small amount for the products they make during their studies, as a way to encourage their spirit.

Artisan Dang Van Hau always creates conditions for young people to experience making traditional to he. Photo: NVCC  

He always encourages his students to boldly approach new trends, bringing a contemporary breeze to traditional dough figurines. With current classes, he always tries to convey not only skills but also the profound cultural values ​​of the profession. He is also proud that many students, after mastering the profession, have actively participated in social activities, bringing to he figurines to give to children in hospitals on holidays such as Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival, spreading the joy of to he figurines to the community.

His journey is a testament to his passion and burning love for the profession. Photo: NVCC  

Artisan Dang Van Hau always encourages the children of Xuan La village to learn about traditional crafts, considering it a solid spiritual support that they can return to at any time.

With over 20 years of dedication to the craft of making to he, artisan Dang Van Hau is not only a preserver of a beautiful traditional culture but also a person who inspires and inspires the love for the craft in the younger generation. His journey is a testament to his passion, responsibility and aspiration to bring to he further, forever a precious “spiritual food” of the nation.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/nghe-nhan-to-he-dang-van-hau-nguoi-thoi-hon-vao-bot-giu-mach-van-hoa-lang-822961