{"id":9049,"date":"2026-07-03T00:40:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/?post_type=journal&p=9049"},"modified":"2026-10-01T14:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T07:00:01","slug":"btma-x-le-viet-su-ceramic-creatures","status":"publish","type":"journal","link":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/en\/journal\/btma-x-le-viet-su-ceramic-creatures\/","title":{"rendered":"BTMA \u00d7 L\u00ca VI\u1ebeT S\u1eec CERAMIC CREATURES: From Folk Icons to Ceramic Forms"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1783005858406{background-image: url(http:\/\/battrang.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LAI_1545.jpg?id=9050) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”48rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

BTMA \u00d7 L\u00ca VI\u1ebeT S\u1eec\r\nceramic creatures\r\n\u2014From Folk Icons to Ceramic Forms<\/h3>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”1rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-md-5 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

Horses and water buffaloes are the central motifs of the ceramic creatures collection developed by B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum Atelier (BTMA) in collaboration with artist L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed. Drawing on two familiar animals deeply rooted in Vietnam\u2019s agricultural life, the collection presents four sculptural works: Corgi Horse, Dachs Horse, Bench Buffalo,<\/strong> and Brick Buffalo<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

Rather than pursuing realistic representation, each work focuses on proportion, surface, and silhouette, resulting in forms that are simple, grounded, and quietly monumental.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

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\r\n<\/strong>Photograph\u00a0L\u00ea Lai\r\n<\/strong>Words\u00a0H\u00e0 Tu\u1ea5n Minh<\/strong>\r\nBTMJ Editor\u00a0V\u0169 Chi Lam<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-4 vc_col-xs-4″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”9055″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Corgi Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-2 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”10rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text el_class=”no-indent”]\r\n

\u00a0<\/span>In this collection, L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed distills the defining features of these familiar animals into geometric sculptural forms.<\/span><\/h3>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-6 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-6 vc_col-xs-8″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_single_image image=”9057″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Corgi Horse and Dachs Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″ offset=”vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-3″][vc_single_image image=”6432″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”14rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Geometric Forms and Traditional Motifs<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

For generations, horses and water buffaloes have occupied an important place in Vietnamese cultural life, from guardian horses found in temples and communal houses to the water buffalo\u2019s enduring association with agriculture and folk traditions. In this collection, L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed distills the defining features of these familiar animals into geometric sculptural forms.<\/p>\r\n

The works emerge from the artist\u2019s memories and years of observation. Their ceramic surfaces draw on a range of visual references, including motifs from \u0110\u00f4ng S\u01a1n bronze drums, textile patterns of Vietnam\u2019s highland communities, and the distinctive spiral lines found in Vietnamese folk paintings. Rather than reproducing these motifs directly, the artist selects their essential elements and integrates them into the form of each sculpture.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section el_class=”.grid-collection”][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9075″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Brick Buffalo<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9077″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Bench Buffalo<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9059″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Corgi Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9067″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Dachs Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]Corgi Horse<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThis work reconstructs the memory of a lost ceramic horse sculpture\u2014a keepsake once given to L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed by the father of the late People\u2019s Artisan V\u0169 \u0110\u1ee9c Th\u1eafng. Long after the original sculpture disappeared, its image continued to appear throughout the artist\u2019s paintings. Its form also recalls the guardian horses traditionally placed in communal houses and temples across Northern Vietnam.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”9063″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Corgi Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

The horse motif in the paintings of L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”9109″ img_size=”medium”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Trang Tr\u00ed M\u1ed9t M\u00f9a Xu\u00e2n \/ Spring Decorations (1992)<\/strong>\r\nPink pigment, watercolor and ink on d\u00f3 paper<\/i><\/h6>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”9111″ img_size=”medium”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u1ed9t Kh\u00f4ng Gian \u0110\u1ed3 V\u1eadt \/ A Space of Objects (1991)<\/strong>\r\nGouache on paperboard<\/i><\/h6>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”9107″ img_size=”medium”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
T\u0129nh V\u1eadt Hoa \/ Still Life with Flowers (2009)<\/strong>\r\nOil on canvas<\/i><\/h6>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”9113″ img_size=”medium”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Ti\u1ebfn s\u0129 v\u1ec1 l\u00e0ng \/ The Scholar Returns to the Village (1998)<\/strong>\r\nGouache on votive paper<\/i><\/h6>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]Dachs Horse<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe rider mounted on horseback recalls familiar figures found in traditional Vietnamese art, while evoking the enduring relationship between people and working animals in everyday rural life.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”9071″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Dachs Horse<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]Bench Buffalo<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIts elongated, grounded form reflects the artist\u2019s interpretation of the animal long associated with Vietnamese agriculture. Engraved lines inspired by the textile patterns of Vietnam\u2019s highland communities are combined with a minimalist sculptural language, offering a contemporary reading of a familiar subject.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”9061″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Bench Buffalo<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]Brick Buffalo<\/strong>\r\n\r\nA compact, block-like form is paired with engraved lines inspired by the spiral motifs of Vietnamese folk paintings. These rhythmic carvings bring movement and vitality to the ceramic surface while contributing to the visual language that connects the collection as a whole.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”9065″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Brick Buffalo<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Craft Objects for Everyday Living<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Beyond their sculptural qualities, the works are designed to become part of everyday life. Compact in scale, each piece can serve as a paperweight, toothpick holder, or candle stand. Through these familiar functions, the collection brings handcrafted ceramics naturally into contemporary living spaces, where daily use and artistic expression quietly meet.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9087″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9081″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9091″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9093″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9097″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9103″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”9099″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”9101″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

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B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum Atelier\r\n<\/strong>BTMA is the nearly 50-year-old ceramic atelier of B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum, run by members of the founding family as a way to continue the legacy of the late People\u2019s Artisan\u00a0V\u0169 Th\u1eafng. The atelier researches and refines elements of traditional Vietnamese ceramics\u2014forms, glazes, and motifs\u2014and reinterprets them through contemporary design.\u00a0Alongside preserving the works that shaped the founder\u2019s legacy, BTMA collaborates with artists across disciplines to develop new collections grounded in heritage and shaped by the creative spirit of the present.<\/h5>\r\n
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H\u1ecda s\u0129 L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed\r\n<\/strong><\/b>L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed graduated from Hanoi University of Industry and was formerly a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Throughout his artistic practice, his attention has remained on people and everyday life, expressed through a wide range of media including ink, oil, and watercolor on humble surfaces such as d\u00f3<\/i> paper, recycled cardboard, and traditional votive paper. In his collaboration with B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum Atelier, this long-standing interest continues through the figures of the horse and the water buffalo\u2014animals deeply connected to both the agricultural life and the cultural imagination of the Vietnamese people.<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”6822″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”8px” css=”.vc_custom_1764583449501{background-image: url(http:\/\/battrang.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BTA_Logo_Small.png?id=6821) !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”9079″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Artist L\u00ea Vi\u1ebft S\u1eed<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”16rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_single_image image=”8750″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”16rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n
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The Giao Ch\u1ec9 Collection – Primal Forms of Memory<\/h4>\n \n\t
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