A collection of ceramic products by Dương Cao Sang is displayed at the exhibition in Bình Dương Museum. — Photo tuoitre.vn

BÌNH DƯƠNG — The southern province of Bình Dương has kicked off its summer events with an exhibition featuring the beauty of the province’s traditional ceramic arts.

With the theme Bình Dương Ceramics-Traditional and Modern, the exhibition is regarded as the convergence of various pottery lines through many generations and a "convergence of Bình Dương's ceramics elite".

At the main hall of the museum, visitors can view original pottery artifacts selected from more than 50 collections from southern provinces and cities such as Bình Dương, HCM City, An Giang, Tiền Giang, Đồng Nai and Tây Ninh.

The exhibition aims to help viewers better understand the origin of the development process of Bình Dương ceramics through different periods, and promote the image of Bình Dương ceramics to domestic and foreign guests.

It will also help to increase public awareness of the protection and promotion of the value of traditional craft villages in the province, highlighting the material, spiritual and cultural values of ceramic products.

“A historical and cultural picture of the land and Bình Dương's people is also re-enacted through the exhibition,” the organisers said.

Lê Văn Phước, the provincial museum’s director, said that through the exhibition, the value and role of ceramic products in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people in general and of Bình Dương Province in particularly would be honoured.

“We would like to introduce to visitors the talented and skillful craftsmen of Bình Dương's pottery profession. Pottery not only helps enrich local people’s life, it contributes to local economic growth and shows the unique culture and history of generations of inhabitants living on this land,” said Phước.

The exhibition features about 200 artifacts and 65 documentary images.

In addition, it also demonstrates the real ceramic work processes to help people directly experience this traditional industry. The exhibition will last for one month starting today.

Besides products that recreate family life, there is also a large water jug 78cm in height originating from a noble family in the late 19th century, and a 90cm vase from around 1950 belonging to collector Bùi Quang Tùng.

According to pottery artisans, they were very happy and wished to have more exhibitions like this to be held annually.

They said were also ready to show visitors how they created their products.

Nguyễn Hữu Phúc, chairman of Thuận An Town’s Antiquities Club, told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that people like Lý Lược Tam and Huỳnh Ngọc Trảng who now live HCM City had planted in collectors’ hearts the passion for understanding and love for the art of Bình Dương pottery.

Phúc also has his ceramic collection on display at the exhibition including a tea box made of Lái Thiêu pottery.

From such a "elite convergence" exhibition, Phúc said, experts and researchers had found a meeting point with the organisers. — VNS