Not many people know that, for Truc to go as far as he is today, in addition to his soul and being the founder - painter Phan Hai Bang, there is also a silent but indispensable contribution from his colleagues, especially O Vi - female artist Ngo Dinh Bao Vi, who shaped and developed the application of this unique art form.
O Vi is the affectionate term for herself, even though this girl was born and raised in Dong Thap. O Vi graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts with a major in Graphic Design ( Graphic Desigh). But after graduating, he announced... that he would quit his job to work as a product designer (Product Desigh).
And every 6 months, O Vi changes companies once, from presenting newspapers, designing leaf bamboo and rattan handicrafts, fashion design, painting and opening a leather and fabric workshop... The reason why O Vi always changes jobs is because at that time, I always look for something new and unique associated with the specific achievements of creativity.
I want to create new, beautiful, fun products myself and most importantly, I have to hold them, but I have not found what I want yet... - O Vi said.
They have been "hugging" to create over the years with the slogan "New Light - New Sight - New Life". The joint maturity of Phan Hai Bang, O Vi and their colleagues has been proven through exhibitions, using the term "Truc Grass Graphics" and a series of works - products of the Truc application that are only available in all regions of the country.
And one day, O Vi accidentally met Truc?
- It can be said that way because Truc and I only met in Da Lat, not Hue. I traveled and that year was also the first time artist Phan Hai Bang exhibited Truc at the exhibition center of Da Lat Su Quan. It was a fateful meeting.
At first sight, my heart was pounding because I had found in Truc only what I had been searching for for so long. That is a uniqueness and novelty in terms of concept, material and way of expression.
After returning to Saigon, I arranged a job to go to Hue for 10 days to experience composing with Truc and then fell in love, unable to leave anymore. I decided to leave the growing leather workshop and earn a very good income, and leave the entire coffee shop that had just been in operation for 8 months in the center of Saigon city, which is also very good, to go and find Truc.
At the time she "poned the shirt", how was Truc?
- Truc was purely artistic at that time, a game of artist Phan Hai Bang aiming at artistic creativity. However, when I arrived, other application fields were expanded. It is a combination of combinations into art stories to create products applied in many fields from fashion, interior to personal items as it is now.
Also Truc Chi, but it seems that she is not like Phan Hai Bang - the founder when choosing Truc to only apply instead of creating photos. Is this a " job assignment" or doing what you like?
- Assigning work and doing what you are best at. What everyone does. However, I still regularly create, not just develop applications, and Phan Hai Bang still comments on products that Truc only applies.
Currently, which application items does Truc only have? And what new products will there be in the near future?
- Currently, there are lighting lines applied in the interior; accessories for women (s pillows, umbrellas, hats, fans); paintings, gifts. In the near future, it will focus on fashion and jewelry accessories...
Truc is just a special commodity product. So it is formed in the way of what you have/ like or what customers/ society need?
- Truc only guides customers, creates trends for users according to the development trend of society.
"Now Hue has Truc, the only one...". That is, Truc has only created a new value for herself. But is Truc currently enough to support those who gave birth to it if only considering the application product?
- Truc has just become a new value in itself, an effort of the whole group in the past 5 years. Currently, Truc can only support those who create it and is creating many jobs for society as we wish. As per the criteria: Aesthetics - Education - society.
In some ways, she has been starting a business with/with Truc di - a strange type of business when going between the lines of an application product and an artwork. Now is everything as imagined in the past and what will it be like in the future?
- I have never thought and imagined whether I am starting a business or not. Only know for sure that Truc is going just as he had originally imagined, even far beyond expectations. And we still have many unfinished wishes coming true.
Our biggest wish is that one day, in every Vietnamese family, Truc will be present. And until one day, Truc was only present in the most luxurious and magnificent spaces in Vietnam as an affirmation of Vietnamese values.
A person born in the West (Dong Thap), studied fine arts in the most ideal environment to develop his career, Saigon, but in the end chose Hue to live and pursue a career. Does it seem a bit unlike the majority?
- It is true that I am going against the majority, perhaps fate from some life has given me to meet Truc, but it could be the opposite. And because of the "debt", we should keep it. Hue is suitable for dreamers to do unimaginable things, but on that condition, dreamers know how to do calculations. And the media boasted that I am one of the few artists... who calculate very quickly.
And are you happy with Truc?
- Truc shows his employees the joy of work, giving them a feeling of freshness every day as well as forcing them to always seek, be creative, and not stop. I am very happy to be able to do what I love and live the way I want...
The title "Truc Chi" was identified by writer - translator - teacher Buu Y in April 2012, with the idea of promoting the spirit of bamboo to promote Vietnamese values.
Truc is only understood as a form of art - paper of Vietnamese people, created by Vietnamese people. This can be seen through the similarity of neighboring countries in the region and the continent: Hoa Chi (Washi) is a title to refer to the types of Japanese and Korean paper (Hanji) is the title to refer to Korean paper, Xuyen is only to refer to Chinese paper ... rather than just a specific material such as: Smppi, Kozo, HEMP ...
This also means that Truc does not only use bamboo as many people have long thought, but also many different materials.
