Bat Trang’s Legacy: The Artistry of Hieu Bien Ceramics

Have you ever walked into a world where every piece of pottery tells a story? I did when I visited the Hiếu Biên pottery workshop in Bát Tràng. Imagine a space filled with the smell of clay and the sight of artisans’ hands moving with such passion that it feels like watching magic happen.

One of the best moments was meeting Vũ Quỳnh Lê, a customer from Hanoi. She held a pottery vase with natural colors, every detail telling the artisan’s story. “When I look at this vase,” she said, “I can feel the artist’s soul in every groove and curve”.

Phạm Hiếu, the young artisan behind Hiếu Biên’s pottery and a member of Bát Tràng Cooperative, told me about the challenges of his craft. “Pottery is hard,” he said, “It requires creativity and dedication. Without passion you’re just making soulless ‘market goods’”

Hiếu Biên makes hand-made, hand-painted unique pottery, combining traditional Bát Tràng values with modern style. Each piece is unique even when they look the same, with variations in size and design, so every customer gets something special.

Customers buy these pieces not just for function but for the beautiful space they create. These are for décor, to bring elegance and nature into homes and offices, as decorative and spiritually meaningful objects.

In a conversation with me, Hiếu said “As a young artisan in an old craft village, being different is key. Making unique hand-made pottery allows us to compete with mass production and have our own voice”.

In the future Hiếu wants to make even more beautiful and sophisticated pottery for individuals to public spaces. He wants Hiếu Biên’s unique pottery to be in international markets and spread the beauty of Bát Tràng’s craft worldwide.

Hiếu Biên will be at the annual Bát Tràng pottery festival on 10th October to show their support for preserving and promoting traditional pottery. The festival will show the history and evolution of Bát Tràng pottery, honor the artisans and craftsmen who keep the tradition alive.

As a member of Bát Tràng Cooperative, Biên emphasized the role of exhibitions in connecting and promoting the pottery craft. Each cooperative member shows their own products, so there’s a sense of community and shared goal in preserving and developing the traditional craft. This event not only honors the artistic and cultural heritage of Bát Tràng but also raises environmental awareness and promotes sustainable development in craft and tourism.

Through this Hiếu Biên and Bát Tràng Cooperative want to make the village a destination for unique and high quality pottery, for domestic and international visitors to experience the beauty of Vietnamese traditional pottery.

To show the value of Hiếu Biên pottery, customers often share how they use them in their daily life. For example, a regular wholesale buyer from the workshop said customers buy their pottery not just for function but as part of a modern beautiful space. Pottery items like vases and jars are used for décor, to bring nature and elegance. These are placed in living rooms and offices as feng shui objects, believed to bring good luck and balance.

Young artisan Phạm Hiếu, an economics graduate, found his way to the traditional craft of his ancestors. His path to pottery was driven by his passion and the need to be different within the old craft. “As a young person in an old craft village, I had to be different. If I followed the traditional way without innovation, I wouldn’t be able to compete with mass production or have my own voice”, Hiếu said.

In the future Hiếu wants to add more products to his workshop and make more complex and unique pieces for individuals to public spaces. He wants Hiếu Biên’s pottery to be in international markets and spread the beauty of Bát Tràng’s craft worldwide.

An important part of Hiếu Biên’s plan is to join the annual Bát Tràng pottery festival. Held on 10th October every year, this is a big event to honor the village’s history and cultural heritage. It’s a great opportunity for artisans to show their best work to domestic and international visitors. The festival not only honors the artisans of Bát Tràng but also educate visitors about the village’s history and the evolution of the pottery craft.

Biên, Hiếu’s wife, is also involved in these plans. Holding a set of ‘Bách Nhung Hoa’ products, she explains why they chose this collection for this year’s exhibition. “This is an opportunity to establish Hiếu Biên’s brand among professionals and enthusiasts. It’s a chance to introduce our unique pottery to a wider audience, domestic and international, to spread the culture and beauty of our traditional craft.”

The festival is organized by Bát Tràng pottery village cooperative of which Biên is a member. Each cooperative member can show their own products, so there’s a sense of community and shared goal in preserving and developing the traditional craft. This is also a platform to raise environmental awareness and promote sustainable development in craft and tourism.

So, with passion, innovation and tradition, Hiếu Biên and Bát Tràng Cooperative are not just preserving the old craft but also moving it forward. Modern and sustainable, Bát Tràng will be a place for beautiful and special pottery for all.

Rita