However, as time goes by, local festivals have become few and far between, so the art of wood carving is also fading into oblivion. Within the scope of the Central Highlands’ Folk Culture Festival currently held in Kon Tum Province, wood sculpture exhibitions have been included to promote and preserve this art form.
This axe has been with A Gong through many cultivation seasons, but for most of the time, he only used it as a tool to chop wood and clear up land. It has been a long time since he used the axe for sculpture, which is a craft that he’s loved since childhood and has been trying to master.
" I learnt wood carving from the elders in my village when I was 10. By the time I reached 20, I’d become pretty adept at it", said A Gong.
However, like many other villagers, A Gông has little chance to show off his talent of carving wooden statues bearing the souls of the ancients in the Central Highlands. Usually, wooden statues are used in community festivals. But for many reasons, local festivals are becoming few and far between these days; therefore, the need for wooden statues also diminishes.
As sculpture arts in the Central Highlands are at risk of extinction, local authorities have attempted many solutions, including opening wood carving classes and sculpture exhibitions.
"This is my first try at wood carving. I just hope it forms into shapes, whether it looks good or not", said Y Thieng.
For many seasoned artisans, festivals such as this are an opportunity share experiences with each other and teach the younger generations valuable lessons about wood sculpting.
