If you are in Hội An and seeking a unique cultural encounter that fuses literature, contemporary art, and traditional craftsmanship, Gốm Thiệp at Củi Lũ Art Space – Coco Casa Art Gallery is a must-see. This remarkable ceramic exhibition brings together seven accomplished Vietnamese artists, all reinterpreting a single short story: “Không có vua” (No King) by celebrated writer Nguyễn Huy Thiệp.
ONE STORY, SEVEN PERSPECTIVES
At the heart of Gốm Thiệp lies a powerful idea: that a single literary work can inspire countless interpretations. “No King” – a story steeped in social satire, familial dynamics, and quiet rebellion – becomes fertile ground for visual exploration. But what makes this exhibition exceptional is how each artist has chosen to engage with the story in a deeply personal way, channeling its essence into the ancient medium of ceramics.
Ceramic plates – traditionally functional and ornamental – are transformed here into narrative vessels, carrying fragments of memory, irony, introspection, and critique. Some works reflect the existential absurdity of the story, others magnify moments of tenderness or tension, and many lean into metaphor, using symbols and forms that linger long after viewing.
MEET THE ARTISTS
The exhibition features seven distinctive voices in contemporary Vietnamese art:
Lê Trí Dũng infuses his plate with emotional gravity and mythic tension, evoking the power struggles hinted at in the story.
Lã Bá Quân turns to surreal and graphic forms, using text and symbols to playfully but critically echo the line “Aha... không có vua.”
Phạm Thuỷ Tiên brings a quiet, introspective mood to her piece, layering faces and subtle contours to reflect inner turmoil and generational echoes.
Hà Huy Mười explores textured forms that bridge abstraction and figuration, focusing on the earthy, bodily presence of the characters.
Nguyễn Đoan Ninh chooses restraint and composition, using delicate balance to express psychological complexity.
Nguyễn Minh Hiếu injects modern visual language into his ceramics, drawing from pop and graphic traditions to comment on the absurdities within the story.
Phan Cẩm Thượng, a painter, researcher, and cultural historian, offers a deeply reflective work grounded in heritage, literature, and symbolic narrative.
Each plate stands on its own as an artwork – and yet, together, they form a rich visual dialogue about literature, authorship, power, and identity in contemporary Vietnam.
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TEXT AND CLAY
Gốm Thiệp is more than an art exhibition. It is a multilayered conversation between literature and visual language, between the past and the present, between form and meaning. The choice of ceramics – rooted in centuries of Vietnamese tradition – becomes a compelling counterpoint to the modernity of Nguyễn Huy Thiệp’s prose. This contrast creates tension, resonance, and renewal.
As Nguyễn Huy Thiệp’s story challenges notions of authority and family, so too do these ceramic works challenge the boundaries between craft and fine art, between reading and seeing, between silence and speech.
DON’T MISS IT – ONLY 07 DAYS LEFT
⏳ The exhibition is open for just seven more days.
📍 Củi Lũ Art Space – Coco Casa Art Gallery, Hội An
Whether you’re an art lover, a literature enthusiast, or simply curious about how Vietnam’s finest contemporary artists are reshaping traditional media, Gốm Thiệp is a cultural highlight you shouldn’t miss.
Visit, reflect, and see “No King” like never before — through the eyes of seven artists, each speaking their truth in clay.
