VietNamNet Bridge – The company Viet Wax Statue is in a process to complete over 100 wax shapes of Vietnamese celebrities to prepare for an opening of an exhibition house located at Hoa Binh Theater in HCMC’s District 10 in earlier 2017.

Late cai luong (Southern opera) artist Ut Bach Lan (3rd, L) is standing next to her wax statue (sitting) and colleagues – Photo: Ngoc My

The idea was initiated by the couple Nguyen Van Dong and Nguyen Thi Dien, owners of Viet Wax Statue, who have had over ten years doing researches on wax material and over four years on portrait sculpture. Joining the couple is artisan Thai Ngoc Binh.

Artisan Ngoc Binh said that the company expects to unveil 130 wax statues at the end of this year. This is also a pride of the company’s staff as Vietnam will have wax statues of celebrities and scholars for the first time. These successful characters have had contributions in the field of arts.

Binh said that it takes a lot of time and effort to try different materials to create a lively statue that reflects the true spirit of any character. A finished statue needs to be 90% alike to the real character, including the measurements of body, muscles and skin tone to the wrinkles on the face and body.

“We have to remake a statue’s head if the hair, eyelashes and eyebrow do not resemble the original model,” Binh added.

According to Nguyen Van Dong, owner of the company, a statue needs scores of fixes and changes to make it real. Thus, an artisan needs to carefully and meticulously conduct all the details of nerves and facial expressions to have the best statue.

Dong and his associates have received great sympathy and understanding of the celebrities and their families’ relatives who have donated stage costumes and daily outfits to make the statues livelier.

It takes three months or more to complete a statue. During such a length of time, artisans will have consultancy from celebrities and ideas from their relatives to have the perfect final products. Viet Wax Statue expects visitors to the first wax statue exhibition might feel the spirit of all the characters.

Binh hopes to receive suggestions and opinions from spectators to have better products in the future. “We are trying our best to invite all the artists (depicted) to the exhibition to create an atmosphere of intimacy between the celebrities and the audience,” Binh added.

Viet Wax Statue is located at 1017/39 Le Van Luong Street in Nha Be District in HCMC.

Hoa Binh Theater is located at 240-242 Ba Thang Hai Street in HCMC’s District 10.

SGT