Venerable Thich Chanh Tinh became a monk at the age of 18, diligently studied and researched Buddhism, and had extensive knowledge of culture and history. As a matter of fate, he was passionate about researching ancient ceramic reliefs in temples and pagodas. He sought to restore artifacts and details eroded by time. This led him to the art of restoring and crafting traditional ceramic products with materials, techniques, and designs that are pure Vietnamese beauty.
The monk shared: "The pagoda is a museum of national culture and art, converging the pinnacle of architectural sculpture... expressed through materials such as wood, stone, bronze, terracotta and ceramics, in which ceramics have a lifespan of thousands of years, carrying a contemporary historical message sent to future generations. During my years of practicing in monasteries, I was imbued with that, I became interested in research and ceramics came to me from there."
The Phu Dieu pottery workshop of Venerable Thich Chanh Tinh is located peacefully in a small alley in village 3, Tu Son commune, Kien Thuy district (now Kien Hai).
The uniqueness of his relief ceramics is that each product is unique, bearing the artisan's own distinctive style from the manufacturing stage, creating negative molds to the sophisticated, elaborate carving process... all done by hand. The ceramic products are glazed and fired in wood according to the pure Vietnamese formula passed down from our ancestors thousands of years ago.
Venerable Thich Chanh Tinh devoted much effort to learning about kaolin and clay to create materials for various products; finding suitable sources of raw materials to create gio, blue and brown glazes corresponding to ancient ceramic glazes; firing techniques and kiln types. With his innate talent, creative aspirations and a methodical research process, he has created many ceramic products, reliefs and unique motifs, with their own beauty, from small details to large sizes. He hopes that through his works, he will express Buddhist philosophy, the concepts of compassion and love that exist in human life.
Regarding his creative work process, the monk said: "The most difficult thing in making pottery is to create a unique type of pottery that is sculpted, molded, glazed and fired so that it does not fall apart or crack in the kiln at a temperature higher than 1200 degrees Celsius. Because no one has done it yet, I try to research and accumulate secrets and formulas for this type of pottery myself, from the time it is a piece of clay to the finished product. I try to master every stage, delve into the quintessence of tradition, create a pure Vietnamese soul and essence, without the shadow of Chinese pottery!"
One of the outstanding creations of Venerable Thich Chanh Tinh is the Bach Binh set, which was awarded the Vietnam Record. This is the ceramic product set with the most traditional Vietnamese patterns and motifs. He created 100 large ceramic vases, each with ancient relief patterns; each has its own appearance, is produced in one piece, and has the name of the maker written on each vase. With this unique Bach Binh set, Venerable Thich Chanh Tinh was awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan in 2020. In May 2025, he was awarded the title of People's Artisan.
After that, he continued to develop the embossed ceramic line, sophisticated on the surface of ceramics with large-sized works such as: Buddha statues, Bodhisattvas, Phuc Loc Tho, statues of King Hung and national heroes, cultural celebrities; embossed birds, animals, landscapes. To date, he has created over 5,000 ceramic products of all kinds. His works have been awarded many awards, displayed in museums, exhibitions as well as reaching ceramic art lovers everywhere.
The Venerable shared: "For me, ceramics is like a game of destiny, I have been committed to it without ever stopping. I really want to spend time discussing with experts and culturalists about topics of common interest, such as the issue of "Ceramics are present in Buddhist worship spaces" through the ages. For example, in Do Son there is Tuong Long tower, built by the third Ly king, in the shape of an octagonal nine-grade, its function is to act as a lighthouse, in case of trouble, the torch is lit to signal Yen Tu mountain, Yen Tu lights the torch to signal Thang Long, that is the Southeast. To the North there is a mountain, to the West there is a mountain, both are built with the same architecture, triangular shape, Thang Long citadel is in the center. Humanitarian politics has respected Buddhism to govern the country, pacify the world. Ceramics, terracotta, stone, wood... are all present in that heritage!"
He expressed: "I hope to have the opportunity to open a workshop in a spacious place, train apprentices, and allow tourists to visit, experience, buy and sell... to create a profession for the locals, contributing to the enrichment of the Vietnamese handicraft industry!"
9 OCOP products all achieved 4 stars by artisan Pham Van Tuyen include: Nine dragons competing for a pearl set; pair of Mac dynasty-style ceramic lamps; Bodhisattva Guanyin statue; Four Seasons set; Lotus relief vase; Vietnamese businessman Ly Thai To set; rose basket; pair of dragon blood glaze vases; lotus basin...
Source: https://baohaiphongplus.vn/gom-phu-dieu-tinh-dat-nghia-doi-415400.html
Comment (0)