This weekend in Vietnam was incredibly eventful as we hiked up to see a sculpture, went to the beach and pool, visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, and saw a lacquer factory all in just two days! My favorite story from this weekend has to be the visit to the lacquer factory. This business was so interesting because they employ handicap people to make the artwork, and a percentage of the proceeds that they make from selling the artwork goes to a charity that advocates for handicap people. On top of that, a lot of the material used in the artwork is made from recycled and reused materials such as duck eggshells and seashells.
I was fortunate enough to have some first-hand experience in learning how to make some of the artwork. I worked with one of the employees to spread the lacquer on the picture and crush up the eggshells very finely. I had one of the UEF students help me translate our conversation, as I asked the employee many questions about his life and his work. He said that just crushing all of the eggshells for one piece of artwork takes one full work day! I was thoroughly impressed by the patience, diligence, and level of love and attention that goes into each piece of art. I also was so happy to be part of making a piece of art that someday someone would buy, even if only a small part of the process.
When we visited the gift shop, I was blown away by the finished products. They were beautifully crafted and I knew I needed to show my support. I ended up buying two shell mirrors and a painting! Ultimately, this business blew me away by not only their creative, inventive, and beautiful work but also, their kindness and excitement for creating art that others enjoy and giving back to the community by donating their proceeds to the handicap charity.
