Ker Tik the sculptor belongs to the Co Tu ethnic community, most of whom live in Quang Nam and Danang provinces. Using a knife and brush, he carves lively works in stone and wood that capture the simple, rural lifestyle of the Co Tu. Born to a poor family in K'Non, a small village in Axan Commune, Ker Tik has dedicated his life to art. "Ker Tik has captured the hearts of art lovers with his works based on Co Tu traditions," said Vu Hao, a culture researcher from HCM City who specialises in ethnic minority sculpture. "I can see and feel their culture and lifestyle" through his works. Some of his more outstanding works are displayed in local communal houses, or guol, around the region. A guoi is the largest and tallest house in the community. Made if wood, it typically stands in the middle of the village. The house is used to receive special guests, hold meetings, rituals and cultural performances. Elderly villagers spend most of their autumn years at the guoi conversing with and educating younger generation. For the Co Tu, a guol is also an art museum that stores works by the area's most illustrious artist. Many foreign and local visitors have seen and admired his work in the guol. During a trip to Quang Nam in 2009, Barbara Cohen, an American writer and cultural researcher, visited Ker Tik's village and was surprised by the depth of emotion and skill displayed by the artist. She said that his sculptures helped her learn more about the Co Tu and their unique art. The artist has had his work displayed in HCM City and Hue, capturing the attention of many art lovers and folklore and cultural researchers. "I love depicting the daily life of Co Tu in my works," said the 67-year-old artist. He said Co Tu sculpture was simple in design but very expressive, helping the community share their passions and thoughts. Going once, going twice: wooden shoes on their last legs Once in great demand, and still in fashion, shoes made of wood are an endangered species. The market for this product has been getting smaller and smaller, and those who still sell it are not hopeful of doing business much longer. In HCM City's big markets like Ben Thanh, Tan Dinh and An Dong, the shoes have all but disappeared from stall windows and shelves. "Only foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese prefer buying wooden shoes," Nguyen Thi Lien, who has been selling the special footwear for more than 50 years at the Ben Thanh Market in District 1, said. "Vietnamese just buy these as gifts for their foreign friends or relatives living in the countryside," the 70-year-old dealer said. Lien's shoes are priced at around VND180,000 ($8) a pair and knowing customers favour them because of their quality and beautiful designs. Most of her customers are French and Japanese. Lien says she now sells only around ten pairs of shoes a day, one-tenth of what she used to in the past. With a sad look on her face, she said her business was dying. To improve her income, Lien has begun offering other fashionable items including dresses, T-shirts and handbags. Those who are interested can still buy a large number of wooden shoes for low prices of between VND30,000 ($1.5) and 70,000 a pair, at wholesale markets like Minh Phung and Binh Tan. A vendor at the Minh Phung Market in District 6 said they were still in business because many women, particularly the elderly living in rural and remote areas, still used wooden shoes on traditional holidays. (Vietnam News Aug 24)
