The Keeper of the Pottery Flame

Born into a family with a long-standing pottery tradition in Huong Canh pottery village, Binh Nguyen commune, with parents who were both well-known artisans in the village, Nguyen Hong Quang’s childhood was closely attached to the scent of clay, kiln smoke, and the rhythmic taps of clay-sculpting hands. While leaving the hometown to seek development opportunities is a common choice for many young people, Nguyen Hong Quang, after graduating with a degree in Sculpture from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, decided to return to his roots to continue the journey with traditional pottery, driven by the aspiration to bring Huong Canh ceramics into the realm of contemporary art.

Sculptor Nguyen Hong Quang creates an artwork using traditional Huong Canh ceramic materials.

To Nguyen Hong Quang, preserving the craft does not mean merely repeating old templates. For the craft to survive, it must adapt to the needs and pulse of modern life. Therefore, he applied a sculptor’s mindset to the familiar products of the craft village to craft unique, one-of-a-kind artworks carrying the artist’s distinct signature while preserving the core soul of Huong Canh ceramics.

Unlike many ceramic lines that use glazes to create colors, Huong Canh pottery consists of unglazed earthenware. The beauty of each product stems directly from the clay itself, the fire, and the sculpted forms. As a result, any mistake during shaping or firing shows clearly on the surface. To produce successful contemporary ceramic works, Nguyen Hong Quang had to accept failed kilns and months of costly experimentation when choosing to combine sculpture with traditional pottery.

Sharing his destiny with the craft, Mr. Nguyen Hong Quang reflected: “I was born and raised in a family with a traditional pottery legacy; currently, four out of five siblings in my family are continuing our ancestors' trade. I determined that this is not just a livelihood, but also a responsibility to preserve our homeland’s traditional craft village. Huong Canh ceramics possess a very distinct deep brown hue, so when combined with sculptural art, it creates truly unique artistic characteristics.”

As a member of the Fine Arts Branch under the Provincial Literature and Arts Association, sculptor Nguyen Hong Quang has brought Huong Canh ceramics to numerous art exhibitions, becoming part of private collections for lovers of pottery and fine arts. The jar and vase shapes bearing the signature deep brown shade no longer merely tell the story of an ancient craft village; they also reflect the continuous creativity of today’s artists. Beyond creating products and building the “Gom Quang” brand, he devotes immense passion to inspiring the younger generation.

Today, Nguyen Hong Quang’s pottery studio has become an experiential destination for pupils, students, and tourists who appreciate plastic arts made from clay. Here, many young children touch raw clay for the first time, hand-shaping their very first items and gaining a deeper understanding of traditional pottery’s value. These hands-on sessions serve not only as tourism activities, but also help plant the seeds of love for heritage in the younger generation. By understanding the meticulous labor behind every product, visitors come to appreciate even more the value of a handicraft preserved over hundreds of years.

Through more than 300 years of existence, Huong Canh pottery has endured many ups and downs. Yet, with perseverance, tenacity, a passion for the earth, and the ceaseless creativity of artisans like Nguyen Hong Quang, the flame of the craft will always be kept alive. From the hands of those who love the trade, the deep brown tone of Huong Canh ceramics continues to tell the story of local cultural identity, ensuring that an ancient craft village remains not just in memories, but vibrant and alive in contemporary life. Today’s pottery village is not only a production hub for high-quality unglazed earthenware, but also an attractive destination for visitors wishing to explore the culture and history of traditional craft villages.

Phuong Thanh