Bát Tràng Museum and Bát Tràng Museum Atelier proudly represented Vietnam at ASEAN Pavilion 2023, showcasing ceramic works that reimagine local heritage through the refined lens of contemporary design.
Selected works capture the unique voice of a nearly 50-year-old ceramic atelier rooted in Bát Tràng tradition.
Location Tokyo Midtown Design Hub, Akasaka, Minato‑ku, Tokyo
Time 25/10 /2023 – 29/10/2023
Free Entry 11am – 8pm
ASEAN Pavilion 2023, themed “Design For Change”, brought together nearly 50 design pieces from 10 ASEAN countries — from traditional crafts to recycled furniture and modern-day essentials. It offered more than a regional showcase: it honored heritage, embraced change, and bridged designers with people and policy, echoing a shared commitment to design for a better future.
As ASEAN and Japan celebrated 50 years of friendship in 2023, the exhibition embodied their shared vision — “Golden Friendship, Golden Opportunities” — bridging past achievements with future possibilities.
Representing Vietnam by curatorial selection, Bát Tràng Museum Atelier showcased designs that embody the unique identity of its nearly 50-year-old ceramic studio. Inspired by the legacy of the late People’s Artisan Vũ Thắng, the atelier continues to explore cultural stories through form, motif, and glaze — translating heritage into contemporary craft. Its presence at the Pavilion offered a chance to share this creative spirit with a wider regional audience.
Bát Tràng Museum
Founded by the late People’s Artisan Vũ Thắng, Bát Tràng Museum—officially Bat Trang Museum of Viet Soul Art—is the only private museum of its kind in the historic ceramic village of Bát Tràng. Licensed by the Hanoi People’s Committee since 2016, the museum houses a rich personal collection of traditional Bát Tràng ceramics (18th–20th century), as well as the life’s work of Vũ Thắng himself, many of which are one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Bát Tràng Museum Atelier (BTMA)
The nearly 50-year-old ceramic workshop operated by the artisan’s family continues his legacy. BTMA focuses on studying the aesthetics of traditional Vietnamese ceramics—its shapes, glazes, and decorative motifs—reinterpreting them in contemporary forms.
ASEAN Pavilion 2023
Co-organized by the ASEAN–Japan Centre (AJC) and the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP). The exhibition celebrated five decades of ASEAN–Japan friendship by spotlighting design as a bridge for cultural exchange, sustainability, and innovation.
The exhibition celebrated five decades of ASEAN–Japan friendship by spotlighting design as a bridge for cultural exchange, sustainability, and innovation.
The opening ceremony of ASEAN Pavilion 2023 was held with the participation of diplomatic officials and representatives of craft creative units from 10 ASEAN countries.
