Artist honours culture of ethnic minority group

      The sculptures of Ker Tik, which are on display in a house in his native village in the central province of Quang Nam, show his love for the traditional art of the Co Tu ethnic minority.
"Ker Tik has captured the hearts of art lovers with his works based on Co Tu traditions," said Vu Hao, an amateur cultural researcher from HCM City who specialises in ethnic minority sculpture. "I can see and feel their culture and lifestyle."
Hao said he was surprised by the depth of emotion and skill displayed by the artist.
Using his knife and brush, Ker Tik has carved lively works in stone and wood featuring the simple, rural lifestyle of the Co Tu.
Born in a poor family in Axan Commune, Ker Tik has dedicated his life to art.
Some of his more outstanding works portray the daily life of villagers and are stored and displayed in local communal houses, or guol, around the region.
A guol
is the largest and tallest house in the community, located in the middle of the village and made from wood.
The house is used for reception of special guests, to hold meetings, rituals and cultural performances.
Elderly villagers often spend most of their remaining time at the guol talking and educating the younger generation.
For Co Tu, a guol is also recognised as an art museum that stores works by the area’s most illustrious artists. Many foreign and local visitors have seen his work and said they admired it.
"I love depicting the daily life of Co Tu in my works," said the 63-year-old artist.
Ker Tik said the Co Tu sculpture was simple in design but helped the community share their passions and thoughts.
The artist has displayed his work in HCM City and Hue, capturing the attention of many art lovers and folk and cultural researchers.
In 2001, he participated in Learning the Source of Cultural Villages, a project which aimed to preserve and develop the art of Vietnamese ethnic groups sponsored by the Ford Foundation.
Barbara Cohen, an American writer and cultural researcher, said Ker Tik’s sculptures helped her learn more about the Co Tu and their unique art.
Most Co Tu people live in Quang Nam Province and Da Nang City. They believe and worship in the Giang (God). Every year, the Co Tu hold dozens of minor and major rituals worshipping Giang to pray for good luck, health and bumper crops.