Man transforms tree roots into unique artworks

Nguyen Van To, 68, of Tan Uyen ward, crafts motorcycles, bicycles, furniture, and hammocks from tree roots, featuring distinctive dragon and phoenix carvings.

The bicycle handlebars are intricately crafted into shapes of dragons, buffalo, and eagles. Each vehicle typically takes him about 5 months to complete.

In his family's living room, Nguyen Van To displays various models of motorcycles, bicycles, tables, chairs, hammocks, and decorative items, all crafted from tree roots.

Mr. To, who never formally studied carpentry, developed a passion for woodworking. Around 2000, with his family's finances stable, he began collecting tree roots from forests and experimenting with decorative items like buffalo and deer heads.

"I would tap rubber in the morning, then come home at noon and work with my chisel and plane until evening," the 68-year-old said. "My passion for this craft means I never feel tired, and I always want to try more complex wooden items."

His first bicycle, crafted from trac wood, was displayed and later sold for 35 million VND. While many have inquired about purchasing his subsequent works, he prefers to keep them as mementos.

In 2020, Mr. To crafted a 50 cc motorcycle from gia ty wood. Similar to his bicycles, he removed the metal frame, retaining only the engine for assembly. This project took him nearly one year of diligent work to complete.

Over 25 years, Mr. To has amassed about 60 unique wooden creations from tree roots. His collection of seven custom-built wooden bicycles and motorcycles, crafted since 2018 and featuring intricate dragon and phoenix carvings, stands out.

He removes the original metal frames, replacing them with meticulously carved, smoothed, and polished wood. Once the wooden frame is complete, components like bearings, handlebars, wheels, and chains are reassembled, ensuring the vehicles remain functional.

"I reassembled all the mechanical parts myself," the elderly farmer explained, "only the electrical components required a technician's help."

Four chairs, intricately carved from jackfruit tree roots, depict dragon, unicorn, and phoenix figures. The scarcity of suitable wood, coupled with the detailed design and elaborate crafting, means each piece requires significant time to finish.

Other trac wood decorative items, depicting sharks, lions, and monkeys carrying each other, are also displayed. Mr. To believes these images symbolize solidarity and mutual support.

His early works, including buffalo, deer, and stag heads, are carefully preserved on the wall.

The "four sacred beasts" (dragon, unicorn, tortoise, phoenix) table and chair set, completed in 2013, commands the center of his living room. The tortoise-shaped table, crafted from giang huong wood, required him to spend two chi of gold for the tree root.

"While I have made many pieces of furniture, this set was the most elaborate, taking 5 years to complete," Mr. To stated.

The dragon motif features prominently in his collection. The largest dragon sculpture is a hammock crafted from sao wood roots in 2021, a project that took one year. This piece once received an offer of 400 million VND.

The hammock, constructed from two large, interconnected tree roots, boasts a seamless form and robust load-bearing capacity. The dragon head carving proved the most challenging, demanding months of meticulous shaping. "Working with solid wood requires absolute precision in every line; a mistake is very difficult to correct," Mr. To explained.