On the porch of a small, simple house, with rough hands wrinkled by time, artisan A Biu is still diligently splitting each bamboo strip, polishing it to be shiny and even, then drying and dyeing it to create patterns on the basket body. Other steps such as inserting the strips, creating patterns, making the rim, straps, straps and base are all done very smoothly by his talented hands, dexterity and meticulousness.

Artisan A Biu is still diligently splitting each bamboo strip, polishing it to be shiny and even to weave traditional Xo Dang baskets.

Artisan A Biu shared: The weaving profession has long been an indispensable part of the life of the Xo Dang people. The weaving profession has been passed down from generation to generation and has survived to this day. He learned the craft from his father and soon mastered the techniques of weaving baskets, trays, winnowing trays, fishing nets, and many other traditional items.

According to artisan A Biu, to have beautiful and durable products, it is necessary to pay attention to the selection of raw materials. The bamboo trees must be of moderate age, carefully processed through stages such as soaking in water, drying, splitting, dyeing with leaves and roots of forest trees. Thanks to that, the woven products have high aesthetics and are durable over time.

One of the famous woven products of artisan A Biu is the basket. The basket of artisan A Biu is famous for its durability and beauty, and full of traditional features of the Xo Dang people, always with patterns that honor the beauty of women and the spirit of men when carrying.

The basket made by artisan A Biu is famous for its durability and beauty, and is full of traditional cultural features of the Xo Dang people.

“My father was a famous basket weaver in the village and I learned the craft from him. Weaving is considered a job for men, weaving everyday items, these items are also used to exchange and trade with people in need in the village or can be used as gifts for friends and relatives. I feel it is my responsibility to preserve and pass on the craft to the next generation so that it does not disappear,” artisan A Biu shared.

Not only good at weaving, artisan A Biu is also famous for his ability to carve wooden statues. Passionate about the art of carving statues since he was young and guided by his father, artisan A Biu was taught the technique of carving statues. By the age of 20, he had mastered the steps in the carving process, and could make wooden statues for the communal house and carve wooden statues for families in need in the village.

After many years of experience, the statues of artisan A Biu have become increasingly sophisticated, and are sought after by local people to buy or order. The wooden statues of artisan A Biu bear the cultural imprint of the Xo Dang people, with familiar images such as women pounding rice, men hunting, village elders drinking rice wine or scenes of daily life. The statues are carved with rudimentary tools but contain the soul, stories and personal feelings of the artisans who created them.

For artisan A Biu, being able to teach the weaving craft to everyone in the village is the greatest joy and happiness.

Artisan A Biu shared: Carving wooden statues has been my passion since I was a child. I use any piece of wood with different shapes and sizes to carve and shape according to my own preferences. No one in my family is a sculptor, but I liked it so much that I followed the elderly and artisans in the village to learn. The best thing about carving wooden statues is that through it, I can imagine the daily life as well as the inner thoughts of the person who made the statue, which are contained in the soul of the statue.

In addition to weaving and carving statues, artisan A Biu is also the only person who teaches gong playing in Ke Joi village, helping to preserve this unique art form in community life. He has taught many generations of young people in the village how to practice weaving, carving wooden statues and playing gongs.

Mr. Si Mon, Head of Ke Joi village, Dak Xu commune, Ngoc Hoi district, shared: Village elder, prestigious person A Biu is a master of traditional culture of the Xo Dang people. Currently, with his prestige and experience, he is trying to teach traditional crafts and gongs to many young generations in the village. Thanks to the contribution of elder A Biu, the village has established 2 gong and xoang dance teams and many people know how to weave and carve statues.

75 years old, with more than 50 years of experience in traditional handicrafts, A Biu is not only a talented artisan, but also has great contributions in preserving the cultural heritage of the Xo Dang people in the sunny and windy border land of Ngoc Hoi.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/a-biu-nguoi-da-danh-hon-nua-the-ky-de-bao-ton-van-hoa-dan-toc-1745220591660.htm