By Minh Phương

(Additional reporting by Việt Dũng)

Nguyễn Đình Thăng, a talented guitarist, is no stranger to making music. However, with a newfound passion for visual art, he is now striking the right artistic notes in an entirely different medium.

Although his background is rooted in music, the 29-year-old producer has explored various artistic forms, including painting on canvas and graffiti. His latest creative challenge, however, involves cracking glass with a hammer to create unique pictures.

Thăng uses a hammer to tap on glass to create unique artworks. Photo courtesy of the artist

Discovering this art form online in 2022, Thăng only became truly passionate about it in the past six months. He has since then completed more than 80 stunning glass pictures, each one a testament to his dedication and evolving artistic journey.

“Glass hammering art is a technique where I tap on glass to crack and break it, shaping the cracks to form portraits and other designs. While most of my works are portraits, I also create pieces featuring logos and still life, although these are less frequent,” Thăng said.

Most of Thăng's works are portraits. Photo courtesy of the artist

Glass hammering is an extremely delicate technique, requiring an artist to be meticulous with every tap of the hammer. Thăng has faced many challenges in his pursuit of this craft, experimenting with various types of glass and hammers to create emotionally expressive portraits.

After much trial and error, Thăng chooses to use laminated glass, which is commonly found in high-rise buildings, and hammers that have been sharpened to a point. Laminated glass, a form of safety glass, is made by bonding two or more layers of glass with an interlayer. This material enhances durability and minimises shattering.

The glass Thăng uses must be between 6 and 8 millimetres thick, as the thickness significantly affects the patterns in his artwork.

“To perfect this craft, I must carefully control the force of the hammer. I guide the glass in specific directions to shape it according to my vision, which requires meticulous practice,” Thăng said.

“When shaping the image, precision is crucial. Even a single, slightly strong strike can ruin the composition, forcing me to start over. The most important aspect of creating glass art is maintaining control over the light and dark contrasts, as well as mastering the hammering technique. This helps capture the essence of a portrait, with a focus on the facial muscles, eyes, and lips — elements that are the soul of the portrait.”

Thăng has to control the force of hammer tapping to perfectly manage the dark and light contrasts on each picture. Photo courtesy of the artist

Thăng may be the first artist in Việt Nam to pursue the glass hammering art, a craft that has demanded a lot of self-teaching and determination.

“As far as I know, I am the first person in the country to pursue this art form, so the journey has been challenging in many ways. I’ve had to figure out everything on my own, from the materials to the hammering techniques, constantly practising and refining them as I work on my pieces,” he said.

He also faced difficulties early on in controlling the force of his hammer strikes and managing the glass itself.

“In the early stages, I couldn’t control the hammering force well, causing small details to break or crack too much,” Thăng recalled.

“Sometimes, I couldn’t control the direction of the cracks. When I hammered one area, it would unintentionally crack in another, ruining the composition and preventing me from creating the portrait I envisioned. This is why I always need to maintain control over both the hammering force and the technique.”

This art form requires great care and attention to detail, as well as a strong connection with the subject, to create truly meaningful pieces. Since Thăng’s glass artworks are made from durable laminated glass, they require no additional preservation and can last a long time.

His vision goes beyond the glass, as he hopes to establish his own galleries to share his art with a broader audience.

Thăng dreams of having his own gallery. Photo courtesy of the artist

“I hope my works will be displayed in places where more people can appreciate them,” he said. “In the future, I dream of hosting my own exhibitions to showcase my works.” VNS