From a coincidence, the conical hat - a rustic symbol of the Vietnamese people - became a "hand painted" by Ms. Hang. Each color she puts into it is not only the leaves, landscape or youth, but also the love of the homeland, the cultural pride, the desire to spread Vietnamese beauty to the younger generation and international friends.
Passion for drawing conical hats comes from a coincidence
Ms. Do Thuy Hang (born in 1977, from Nghe An) used to be a primary school teacher. But few people expected that her life would have turned in a different direction from once she drew a conical hat for her friend. From that simple gift, she discovered a deep passion for traditional art and then in the gentlest way, she left the podium, embarking on her journey to become a conical hat artist.
"At first, it was just for me to paint and give to you. Unexpectedly, they are loved and spread. Since then, I have practiced painting on hats, the more I paint, the more passionate I am... - Ms. Hang shared.
For her, the hat is no longer a simple sun and rain cover, but has become a vivid work of art, carrying the soul of the nation.
The theme on her hat is often associated with Vietnamese cultural identity: Image of a peaceful countryside with bamboo cages, buffalo hill, rice fields; girls in gentle ao dai; or flowers with special meanings such as high-altitude lotus, enduring apricot, military lantern, longevity chrysanthemum...
I want each hat to be a picture of my homeland, people, and Vietnamese culture. In the midst of modern life, there is a conical hat that makes people feel secure" - Ms. Hang said.
To complete a hand-painted hat, she had to go through many meticulous steps from choosing a hat that is not curved, wiping the surface, making the layout, coloring each layer of acrylic, and finally coating it with paint or oil for preservation. The most difficult thing is the harmonious layout on the hood, so that each line is soft while still maintaining the traditional spirit.
However, the biggest difficulty for Ms. Hang is not the technique, but how to keep the soul of Vietnamese conical hats in a modern world, when tastes change, when industrialization makes people prefer ready-made, fast-ational printing products.
"I chose to draw individual hand-painted branches, even though I knew it was slow. But I still believe in traditional values" - Ms. Hang confided.
Keeping Vietnamese soul on the hat, spreading to friends around the world
Not only is she a quiet artist with a hat and a comb, Ms. Do Thuy Hang is also a person who strongly inspires the love of Vietnamese culture. From her personal page, she shared each hat she painted. And from there, many messages from parents, students, and young people came.
A friend texted me: Thank you, my child wants to try drawing a hat; or Sister, show me - I was very happy and always ready to share with those who were equally passionate, Ms. Do Thuy Hang said with pride.
According to her, leaf hat painting can completely become a sustainable profession if she is passionate and persistent. Because each hat is not only a handmade product but also a meaningful cultural symbol as a bridge between tradition and modernity.
She did not hide her greater ambition than to bring a Vietnamese conical hat to the world. Many of her hand-painted hats have followed overseas Vietnamese to the US, as Tet gifts, exhibits, and souvenirs of her homeland. Vietnamese people far from home, when seeing the image of rice fields, rivers, women in Ao Dai, lotus flowers... on their even hats, were moved to tears.
"Doing work from the heart can touch the hearts of those who enjoy it" - she always believes so.
Ms. Hang is cherishing a plan to cooperate with schools and cultural centers to organize experiences for students. Further, she hopes that overseas friends will become a "connector" for Vietnamese hand-painted conical hats to spread to many countries.
The Vietnamese conical hat is not only for shelter from the rain and sun, but also carries the soul of the countryside everywhere. That is the whisper of the scent of the countryside, of bamboo, of river wind, of pure lotus scent... I paint with both love and pride in the country - Ms. Hang said, her eyes lit up.
And so, from a small chance, an elementary school teacher has found her own path: The way to preserve and inspire traditional Vietnamese art, with all her passion and heart.
