Vietnamese people are familiar with the patterns of stray birds and bronze drums. Although there are still many different theories about their origin, the bronze drum pattern still exists in modern life as a symbol of cultural quintessence, nations traditions. The unique and special features of the ancient civilization built by the Vietnamese people are reflected in them.
Hung Xu, the artist has succeeded in creating wonderful tattoo works, which are not only a story of creativity and aesthetics but also imbued with religious, artistic and artistic values, great history. Join us for a conversation with him.
Hi Hung, I had the pleasure of knowing you as a musician and. Oringchains’s bassist many years ago. Now it’s Hung version, the professional tattoo artist, what happened?
In addition to music, I was also a fan of tattoos before becoming a tattoo artist. Once I bought a new tattoo from Tien, one of my brothers, who later became the teacher who brought me into this tattoo world. During the conversation we both talked about setting up a tattoo studio together and this idea really excited me and things started happening…
Are there completely different versions of Hung when playing music and doing a tattoo?
I don’t feel much difference, at least mentally. Those are just two different forms of expressing my personality. When playing music or tattooing, i’m still a free and thorny.
Seeing your works, I am confident that the viewers will be moved by the beautiful tattoo versions of the familiar Vietnamese motifs that appear. What inspired Hung to use the Bronze Drum pattern as a material to create a unique identity for his personal style?
I have worked in the tourism industry for a long time, and that environment has made me very interested in cultural and historical topics. That inspired me to want to continue and develop those values through the language of tattoos. And I chose Dong Son pattern as the main material for creating tattoo designs.
What is your view on the hypothesis that Dong Son culture is connected to the tattoo custom of the ancient Vietnamese people?
Although I am uncertain, I have a strong belief in this connection. Both are recognized to have thousands of years of history and have similarities in geography and images in archaeological documents and published records.
What is the most challenging aspect of starting to pursue this style?
In the early stages, I had very few customers, most of whom were acquaintances or through referrals. As time passes, as skills and experience develop, and the collection of works becomes more complete and attractive, people begin to easily understand the work they are doing, and more customers come to my art.
Is there any commonality between people who come to you because of its unique style?
I see that customers want to own bronze drum tattoos, a large part of them are foreigners, overseas Vietnamese, and international students. In my opinion, when foreigners come to Vietnam, it is very common to think of having a tattoo that bears the mark of the place they came from, a bronze drum tattoo is one of them.
As for Vietnamese people living abroad, perhaps being away from their homeland and the foreign environment makes the urge to find their roots and their homeland grow stronger within each person. Having a tattoo with your national identity is a way to connect with your homeland.
You has included his own creations in each design, but still kept the originality of the Bronze Drum pattern. you can share about this?
My guiding principle for my work, my spiritual motivation, is that I always consider the work I do as a way to participate in the work of preserving national cultural values. Conservation is defined as preservation and development. I assign my work to the second category, it allows me to aim for a goal of how to appeal to common Bronze Drum patterns in my own way without placing too much emphasis on originality. The Bronze Drum pattern. Preserving originality is for researchers and archaeologists.
In general, there aren’t a lot of artists who are pursuing themes that are inspired by traditional art. As one of those people, what does Hung feel is needed to further promote this very meaningful trend?
I think we need playgrounds that create a clear motivation for drawing. Equally important is the output of creative works. For example, in the past, artists of human paintings had to rely on the Vietnamese people’s hobby of painting during Tet.
Thank you for sharing, Hung. You’re doing a job that’s so meaningful that we don’t just define you as a tattoo artist. Wishing your work always develops, Vietnamese. INK is always by your side.
HANDXAM TATTOO STUDIO
Addresss: 6th Floor, no.3 Chau Long str., Truc Bach, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +8493 653 53 14
