Rồng Phố (Dragon of the Urbanities) is a collaboration between Bát Tràng Museum Atelier (BTMA) and designer Diệu Anh. The collection comprises five ceramic vases and stools that reinterpret dragon imagery through familiar objects from Vietnamese everyday life, including the plastic monobloc chair, stool, brick, water pipe, and tire. Through these distinctive forms, Rồng Phố brings traditional symbolism into dialogue with contemporary Vietnamese street culture.
A familiar element of the urban streetscape, the water pipe is combined with dragon imagery to create a ceramic vase that can hold flowers from either end. The dragon head is shaped using an origami-inspired folded form, introducing a contemporary visual language to Bát Tràng ceramics.
Dimension (cm) 68x58x46(L) —46x39x32(M)
Technique Overlapping glaze
Color Red —Explore other color versions on Bát Tràng Museum Atelier (BTMA)’s Facebook page —Click here
According to East Asian beliefs, the Dragon embodies the power of the four elements that make up the universe: Earth, Water, Air and Fire; and we mere mortals occupy a very miniscule part of it. This was the core idea that guided Bát Tràng Museum Atelier x dieuAnh throughout their process of conceptualizing Rồng Phố. They were aiming for something new, a fresh notion, one that retains the sacredness of the source of inspiration, yet intimately familiar to one and all. By the flame of passion for the ceramic art, life alongside the energy of universe are breathed into these artworks, and unto the inner self, by proxy.
Transforming asymmetrical everyday forms into ceramic presents a significant technical challenge. Unlike traditional pottery, which favors balanced and symmetrical forms, works with unconventional geometries such as the Dragon Pipe Vase require many different approaches to preserve their form during firing. Each finished piece is distinguished by the layered glazes characteristic of the BTMA studio, while reflecting the craftsmanship behind its making.
More on Bát Tràng Museum Atelier (BTMA)’s Facebook page —Click here.
Bát Tràng Museum Atelier (BTMA) – The 50-year-old workshop of Bát Tràng Museum, founded by the late People’s Artisan Vũ Thắng.
