- Title: VIETNAM: NORWEGIAN WOODCARVER OYVIN STORBAEKKEN EXHIBITS HIS WORK IN HANOI
- Date: 1st June 2001
- Summary: (L!2) HANOI, VIETNAM (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) GV EXT WOOD CARVING WORKSHOP SMV, OYVIN STORBAEKKEN CARVING SCULPTURE OF A VIETNAMESE GIRL SCU STORBAEKKEN'S WIFE WATCHING SCU STORBAEKKEN WITH GIRL'S SCULPTURE (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) STORBAEKKEN, 54, SAYING: "I find they have very big cultures from ancient. And I could see that they have managed to keep th
- Embargoed: 16th June 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Topics: Arts,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA53E2TL6XG25Z0MTTG987M2CMX
- Story Text: A Norwegian sculptor has traveled to Hanoi to immerse himself in traditional Vietnamese woodcarving in preparation for an exhibition this June.
Sculptor Oyvin Storbaekken has been in Hanoi for more than six months, working hard to prepare for dual exhibitions in the Vietnamese capital and his home town of Oslo, Norway.
The 54-year-old wood carver has put the finishing touches on 15 sculptures in a workshop he shares with a Vietnamese artist, turning what were once crude blocks of wood into meaningful, artistic creations.
Storbaekken first became aware of Vietnam in his twenties when the Vietnam War was at its height. But it was not until this year that he finally made it to the Southeast Asian country.
He discovered a land with a long and rich tradition in the fine arts, especially sculpture.
He has created a series of his own tributes to that tradition, covering various aspects of life in Vietnam.
"I find they have very big culture from ancient times. I could see that they have managed to keep the tradition living and I'm very inspired by the works they are doing in wood," he said.
Storbaekken finds the best wood for his carvings comes from the jack-fruit tree, which is found all over southern Vietnam.
He says he draws inspiration from the timelessness of the Vietnamese countryside.
His image of a buffalo, for example, reflects an ancient tradition based on water and rice.
For six months the Norwegian carver has lived and worked alongside local wood carver Dong Quang Huy and his family.
Huy, the owner of the workshop, has been making handicrafts and carvings for more than 40 years. His family has done this as a business for decades, but Huy said he learned something unique when he offered Storbaekken living and work space in his house.
"This is a cultural exchange, not a business. We hit it off very fast and quickly understood each other. Although we don't speak each other's languages, we are talking through the language of sculpture and art. It's very interesting, it's the language that normal people don't understand," Huy said.
Storbaekken enjoys daily life with Huy and says there is no difficulty in communication. The two artists have shared lots of experiences and believe that it is easy to communicate through art.
Local work has been a big source of inspiration for Storbaekken.
"I've been studying their old sculpture, I've been studying their old kind of materials, how they treat the materials, how they work," Storbaekken said.
"So, it takes a great place in my heart. I will use all these experiences in the future."
Storbaekken said he was so inspired by his environment that it took him only about half a year to complete the work he wanted to exhibit, instead of the two years it normally takes him in Norway.
The exhibition has been warmly received in Vietnam. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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