Buddha statues

Born into a poor family, Thach Tu was unable to continue his studies past primary school. At the age of 14, he went to live with a cousin to be an apprentice in the Gia Dinh Practical Fine Arts School. A year later, he spent time as a monk in the Hang Pagoda under the Khmer ethnic tradition.

Thach Tu returned to the secular life five years later. He studied drawings taught by a Chinese teacher. He also learnt how to build houses, sculpture and make Buddha statues from his father. With skillful hands, at the age of 26, Thach Tu became famous across the region of the Hang Pagoda.

A priest in the Hang Pagoda stated that the Mekong Delta has many centuries-old pagodas which desperately need restoration, especially their Buddha statues. However, it is a very difficult job to move Buddha statues; the only real solution is to lift them up for restoration.

“Moving a house is like shouldering a heavy object while moving on land, while lifting a statue is like carrying a heavy object and climbing up a ladder. A statue is a solid vertical pillar. As well as its weight, it is also very difficult to keep balanced”, the priest said, making a comparison.

Buddha statues are a pagoda’s soul; thus, they must not be cracked or broken during the process of lifting. Therefore, the person who can lift a statue, must also know how to repair the statue, or make a new statue based on the old statue. Knowledge of Buddhism is also required.

Thach Tu said, “After casting a statue, the artist has to make paintings of Buddha’s life on the walls, together with decorations of religious patterns”.

Along with his talent in lifting Buddha statues, artist Thach Tu can also make musicial instruments. His hand-made instruments have been used by Khmer ethnic minority art troupes and in pagodas. The musical instruments are made of wood, bamboo, copper, iron, or buffalo skin.

Not stopping there, he has tirelessly made paintings from natural materials, such as coconut leaves and rice. Many tourists visiting Tra Vinh can not help dropping into his shop, which is named Thien Y.

In 1986, he won second prize in a national handicraft competition with the painting “The Legend of Betel and Areca”. Futhermore, in September 2007, his painting about Uncle Ho brought him a gold medal in the first Southern Rural Industrial Goods Exhibition Fair.

What people admire most about this skilled artist is that he is very enthusiatic to pass on his knowledge to the younger generation. He has joined hands with the Tra Vinh Industry Development Advice Center in opening a class for local trainees to help them improve their income.

Source: TT