At the ancient village of Duong Lam in Son Tay, Hanoi, artist Nguyen Tan Phat (born 1983) and his team are racing to finish their ambitious lacquer art collection titled “Giong,” comprising 2,026 one-of-a-kind lacquer pieces inspired by the legendary figure Saint Giong and the image of the horse.

Phat, dubbed the “lacquer wizard,” has nurtured this vision for a decade. Over 1,900 completed pieces are now on display throughout the historic village, drawing crowds of curious visitors. Roughly 100 more are still undergoing final touches.

“I have a deep admiration for Saint Giong and his horse, as they symbolize the spirit of the Vietnamese people in defending our homeland,” Phat shared.

Each work in the collection remains true to the soul of traditional lacquer while adopting modern aesthetics, catering to both domestic and international tastes.

What makes the collection exceptional is that no two pieces are alike. Each sculpture features a distinct design, form, and emotional expression - some bold and powerful, others serene or introspective. There are even some with playful, whimsical charm.

The average piece measures about 20x25cm and takes at least a month to complete. For Phat, the true challenge lies not in producing such a large quantity, but in ensuring each artwork possesses its own soul and avoids mechanical repetition.

“These pieces embody the intellect and creativity of the artist. They're not mass-produced but made with artistic intention,” he said. One sculpture, for example, fuses laterite stone and wood in a stylized horse form using abstract shapes.

Unlike previous Tet animal collections by Phat, the "Giong" horses serve both as decorative sculptures and functional furniture - tea tables, chairs, cabinets, and more. The materials used include laterite, jackfruit wood, longan wood, and bamboo - elements drawn from the architecture and lifestyle of Duong Lam village, offering both rustic charm and artistic durability.

“As soon as I shared some photos of the pieces online, many people reached out to visit and place orders for Tet,” Phat recalled.

This year, he created four lacquer tables shaped like horses, each portraying a different posture. Made from sturdy woods such as longan and sapodilla, these pieces go through a meticulous process - shaping, material treatment, priming, sanding, painting, layering, and finishing - that takes around two and a half months per table.

Each table is currently priced at $8,000. A collector from Da Nang secured two of the four early on.

One of Phat’s personal favorites is a horse-shaped lacquer cabinet that took approximately four months to complete. The anticipated price for this piece is $12,000.

The largest piece in the collection is a full furniture set titled “Bat Ma Truy Phong” (Eight Horses in Pursuit of the Wind). It includes one table, one main chair, and six side chairs - each sculpted in the form of a horse in different poses. Still in progress, this grand set is scheduled to be unveiled a few weeks before Tet.

Smaller display pieces in the collection range from $120 to $400.

The “Giong” project is a collaborative effort involving seasoned artisans, skilled craftsmen, and young painters from Duong Lam. Under Phat’s guidance, they maintain strict artistic and technical standards.

In 2017, Phat was awarded the title “Artisan of Hanoi” by the Hanoi People’s Committee in recognition of his mastery in mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer. In 2023, the former Son Tay township honored him for his contributions to local culture, arts, and tourism. In 2025, he was officially named “Distinguished Artisan.”

Beyond creating art, Phat actively mentors the next generation. He organizes lacquer workshops for students and university learners, fostering appreciation for traditional crafts and inspiring young people to take up the mantle of cultural preservation.

Linh Trang