The sculptures here are rustic and full of life. The village and the works are magically beautiful, the beauty blossoming from things that seem to have been discarded. This is both a display space and a reminder of artistic sublimation, stories of memories...
Listen... wood tells stories
Hoi An's moss-covered tiled roofs still bear the color of time, the Thu Bon River still gently meanders through the centuries, enriching the memories of the land and people. Every rainy and stormy season, the muddy water swirls, fiercely with many unpredictable dangers, and then when the flood recedes, on the wet sandy shores there are bare pieces of firewood, rotten wood, withered tree roots... The majority see the decay, but there are also people who recognize the hidden beauty that can be revived! Artist Le Ngoc Thuan is such a person.
Artist Le Ngoc Thuan - a native of Quang Nam - has deeply felt the stories of storms and floods and expressed them through art. From his feelings to his talented hands and his love for life, the works of art by him and his colleagues have been revived from the firewood of the flood, one after another, laying the foundation for a small village with a simple name: Firewood Village in Hoi An Tay Ward (Da Nang City). There, firewood has become the material of memories, also the beginning of a colorful journey of life regeneration in a humane, profound and touching way.
In 2012, while focusing on building a small homestay area along the An Bang coast, Le Ngoc Thuan began to notice the logs washed ashore by the waves after each storm. There were rough tree trunks, some worn logs… but with a sensitive soul and artistic vision, he recognized the rustic yet unique beauty. “At that time, I simply thought of cleaning the beach, collecting firewood to decorate the space to make it more interesting. So I worked hard to scrub, polish, and create more… But when guests came, they were surprised to know that those items were once driftwood. They asked questions, listened to the stories I told… and something very touching seemed to shine in their eyes. Only then did I begin to think more deeply: if these logs could tell stories, then I would be the one to help them speak up”- Mr. Thuan shared. From that beginning, unexpectedly, it was the driftwood that nourished Mr. Thuan’s spirit and life. The idea of an art space associated with firewood material began to take shape. At first, Mr. Thuan made small items: picture frames, lamps, simple animals... the more he did, the more passionate he became. Each piece of wood, firewood has its own shape, no two works are the same, just like the story of human life, always colorful and varied, although arduous and difficult, it is also beautiful and magical.
Hoi An in particular and the central region in general often suffer from natural disasters, especially big floods. After each flood, Mr. Thuan stands in front of the river, in front of the sea, watching each wave of wood and firewood drifting to the shore, his heart filled with emotions... Each piece of wood and firewood seems to have existed as happiness or loss...
In that moment, he decided to dissolve his pain through art.
In 2020, Mr. Thuan decided to realize his dream of building Củi Lũ village in a systematic way. He traveled back and forth to learn about the culture of the Co Tu people, stopped by Kim Bong carpentry village to listen to the craftsmen talk about traditional sculptures to sketch out his first ideas. Although not a formally trained artist, Le Ngoc Thuan has sensitive eyes, a warm heart combined with passion, identity and love for his homeland. The logs of firewood gradually turned into winding dragons, ancient wooden house statues, vivid zodiac animals or even miniature images of Hoi An ancient town. The works are all handcrafted, from the carving to the detailed carving, both rustic and full of emotion. In 2022, Củi Lũ village officially became an art exhibition space in the heart of Hoi An. Nestled in the middle of green rice fields, this place has the appearance of a craft village, a creative workshop, an experiential classroom and, most importantly, helps people connect with each other through familiar materials. Visitors coming here will be able to see hundreds, thousands of works made from firewood, hear about the journey of firewood from the deep forest flowing upstream, stopping at the river mouth, then returning to the hands of the artisans to continue living, with a new look. People can carve, paint on wood or sit quietly next to the work, feeling the breath of life, nature, and people through each grain and grain of wood.
Reach out to the world
After nearly four years of development, Củi Lũ has gone beyond the limits of a small, private dream. Mr. Thuan and more than 20 skilled workers have created thousands of works, which have been ordered by many large hotels, resorts, and domestic and international collectors. For Mr. Thuan and his colleagues, the most important thing is to spread the message: even things that seem to be discarded can shine if we know how to love them and give them the opportunity to continue living...
In particular, by organizing the Visual Arts Creation Camp “Unleashing Heritage” in July 2025, Củi Lu has marked a new milestone in its development journey, contributing to making Hoi An a regional creative destination. For the first time, a large-scale creation camp with the participation of 12 domestic and international artists was held right in Củi Lu village in a space imbued with the breath of heritage but opened up for contemporary approaches. During the series of days of experience and creation, the artists have “absorbed” more of the Hoi An material, from the morning markets, the melancholy of ancient roofs, the sound of waves in An Bang or the late-day light on the Thu Bon River to transform into many experimental, multilingual artistic works.
Củi Lũ Village has been expanding into a center connecting artists, locals and tourists to interact, share and co-create together. Children can draw on wood by hand; foreign tourists are excited to learn how to chisel and create; local carpenters are participating in the exhibition as creators and storytellers...
Stories about Củi Lũ are gradually reaching out to the world, works that were exhibited in Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City... continue to be introduced at international cultural exchange events.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/hanh-trinh-tai-sinh-tu-lang-cui-lu-post898132.html
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