Snail shell artist slow to sell

QUANG NAM — Lu Ngoc Nam of Hoi An believes he is the first person in Viet Nam to create pictures from snail shells.

Since 2003, he’s been making his unusual artworks in a tiny house at 53/10 Phan Chu Trinh Street.

The idea of using snail shells to make pictures was born when he came upon a group of children using them to play Chinese chess, and noticed their beautiful colours.

Nam said his work is arduous and requires patience and skill. And then there’s the question of gathering his materials.

He initially sought out snail-eating neighbours and asked them to hand over their empty shells. Word of Nam’s strange request soon got around and people began to give him their discarded shells. But there were still not enough shells for his needs, and most were not the right quality or colour.

One day while wandering the streets, he overheard sanitation workers complaining about the number of sea snail shells they had to pick up, with no where to put them.

Nam immediately suggested the garbage collectors help him in his pursuit. This resulted in thousands of kilograms of shells being delivered to his home.

The cleaning and sorting process is very time-consuming, and Nam cannot do it alone. He gets help from his wife and children.

Since 2003, he has made 60 shell creations featuring various subjects like cultural festivals, daily activities, and ancient Hoi An.

His first picture, called Chua Cau (Bridge Pagoda), took over a month to finish.

His creations, on both plywood and soft canvas, have impressed viewers with their harmonious, bright colours, and many have expressed interest in buying them.

But they are not for sale. Nam considers the pictures his spiritual sons and keeps them at home.

In the future, he plans to create sea shell pictures on a wider range of subjects and experiment with other media. Nam hopes to hold an exhibition to introduce his art to friends and a wider audience. — VNS

( Vietnamnews – vietnamagency.com.vn)