Exhibition explores spell of Hmong ethnic people’s textiles

A Hmong woman weaving at the event (Photo: Thuy Linh)

Nhan Dan Online – An exhibition entitled ‘Spell of Blue H’Mong Textiles‘ opened today at Hanoi Design Centre, introducing the textile techniques of Blue Hmong, who are renowned for their mesmerising indigo batik harmoniously mixed with patchwork and cross-stitching.

In addition to enjoying new collections inspired by Hmong textiles, visitors to the two-day event can explore the entire traditional process in making a complete textile product demonstrated by the best crafters of textiles from the Blue Hmong group in Hoa Binh and Ha Giang provinces under the interpretation of Tenh Thi Sua, a Hmong woman from Pa Co commune, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province.

On the first floor of the exhibition’s space, visitors will see the meticulous process of hemp making, from removing the bast fiber, carding and twining to weaving. All of steps are done totally by hand.

According to Hmong tradition, each grown-up girl has her own field to grow hemp; they believe that only wearing hemp cloth can avoid losing ancestors, revealed Tenh Thi Sua.

“Hmong girls learn about weaving when they are around eight, under the instruction of their mother, since Hmong people believe that any Hmong girl has to know all about weaving and making cloth, otherwise she does not gain respect from the community,” Sua said.

The weaving process is presented on the second floor of the exhibition, where the craftspeople show the steps of thread stretching, loom preparation and weaving into a piece of cloth.

A good hemp cloth should be smooth, display small fibres, be light and create a soft and airy feeling for those wearing it, said Sung Thi May, a craftsperson from Can Ty commune, Quan Ba district, Ha Giang.

Entering the third floor, the sightseers can study the indigo dyeing and decorative pattern production on clothes of Hmong women.

After weaving, the cloth must be washed many times, than soaked with ash water and sun dried. The Hmong women will then begin applying fabric shapes by hand, using wax to produce decorative patterns on a variety of woven products.

“There is no guidebook for us to create the patterns, we just stimulate our imagination and creativity in doing this work; as you can see,various kinds of patterns are presented in the same piece of cloth,” said Tenh Thi Sua.

The cloth will finally be dyed in an indigo cask many times, each lasting 15 to 20 minutes, over many days until it gains the right colour.

In addition to see the making process, visitors can also learn about the traditional principles of each step, such as a man not being allowed to stay next to a woman who is stretching thread or preparing a loom, because it may cause her to make a mistake.

Exhibition visitors are also invited to a reception with a Hmong musical performance and local corn wine and bread, served in the authentic bamboo-carved bowls and cups.

The exhibition’s opening drew much interest from both local and international visitors.

According to Cynthia Mann from Australia, there are many fantastic things to learn at the exhibition, not only about the textile techniques but also the culture of Hmong people. She said she loved all of these textile products on display there, particularly batik, and she thought Hmong women do a fantastic job in turning hemp into colourful and beautiful products.

She revealed that she just returned from Sapa in Lao Cai province and Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province, where she saw some textile and embroidery products made by the locals. She was impressed by the the richness and diversification in the culture of Vietnam, where each of its 54 ethnic groups has a distinct and unique identity.

Sharing the same thought, Ngo Thuy Huong, a visitor from Hanoi, said that the exhibition helped her to tap the rich artistic and spiritual world of the Hmong people as well as the patience and creativity of Hmong women.

This event is a part of the ‘Improving Livelihoods of Ethnic Minority Women through Sustainable Development of the Ethnic Textile Value Chain’, a US$716,000 project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) and executed by the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association (Vietcraft).

The project focuses on helping ethnic minority hemp and silk growers and weaver groups to improve their income through upgrading the hemp and silk value chain. It targets mainly women, who take primary responsibility for cultivation of raw materials, processing and weaving, and represent about 90% of the beneficiaries in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and Hoa Binh provinces. Eighty percent of the project beneficiaries come from marginalised ethnic groups, including Hmong, Thai and Muong.

Speaking at the event, My Lan, an official from the SDC, said she hoped the event would spark a conversation about bringing ethnic traditions to contemporary, international markets, and promote the culture of Hmong people to foreign friends.

The demonstration of the craftspeople will take place until August 24, and their products will be on display and for sale during the next two weeks at 91 Au Co street, Tay Ho district.

Hang Thu

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