HÀ NỘI Handmade Vietnamese products have been presented at a recent exhibition of craft design in Bangkok, Thailand.

Sixteen lacquer objects, including vases, trays, shelves, lamps, mirrors, lights, hooks and clocks, are collaborative works between three French designers and craftspeople of the Vietnamese haute lacquer house Hanoia. The designers and craftspeople have created the items in just two weeks, from sketches to creating samples and perfecting the final products.    

French designers learn techniques on lacquer making at Hanoia workshop in Hạ Thái craft village in Hà Nội. — Photo courtesy of Hanoia

The works have been displayed at the D17/20 Craft and Design in Southest Asia – a collaborative project involving craftspeople from Southeast Asia and French designers to highlight daily lifestyle and craft products. This is the first time Việt Nam has products displayed at the event.

A vase designed by Guillaume Delvigne. — Photo courtesy of Hanoia

After graduating from one of the best design schools in Europe, the École de Design Nantes Atlantique in France, Guillaume Delvigne continued to accumulate acknowledge on design at the Polytechnic University of Milan.

After a few years working for some major interior design companies in Europe, in 2011, Delvigne founded his own workshop, presenting furniture and home decor products. For the D17/20 project, the 41-year-old designer has created some vases, of which, his favourite is the one formed by three separate parts. 

Lamps designed by Pierre Charrié. Photo courtesy of Hanoia

Mirrors designed by Marie Aurore.  Photo courtesy of Hanoia

Born in 1981, Marie Aurore graduated from the Paris Design Institute ENSCI in 2007 before continuing to pursue other courses on design in France and Italy.

An excellent student, Aurore has been granted several significant scholarships including the Audi Talent Award in 2010.

Among her creations for the D17/20 exhibition is a set of four lacquer mirrors using metal ribbons.   

Initiated in 2017 by the French Embassy in Thailand, in collaboration with Institut français Paris, the D17/20 Craft and Design aims to strengthen the design industry in Southeast Asia through a series of workshops held in Thailand, Indonesia and Việt Nam, where local designers/craftspeople have joined French counterparts in developing products to display at the exhibition.

The project connects 43 designers from France, Thailand, Indonesia and Việt Nam, with 18 local craft workshops. More than 100 products have been created to showcase at the event.

At the exhibition in Bangkok, all lacquer items created by three French designers and Vietnamese craftspeople received acclaim from representatives of the Paris Design Week, who have decided to select all items for the show in September in Paris. VNS