A Vietnamese artist, who is the author of a Guinness-recognized ceramic mural in Hanoi, has just completed her latest love manifestation for the capital with a heart-shaped ceramic sculpture.

The finishing touches have already been given to a sculpture called “Trai Tim Ha Noi” (Hanoi Heart), which has been erected near Truc Bach Lake in the capital’s Ba Dinh District, Vietnamplus, an affiliate of the Vietnam News Agency, reported on Wednesday.

The lake was part of Tay (West) Lake, one of Hanoi’s icons.

The structure, created by 44-year-old artist Nguyen Thu Thuy, is perfectly congruous with the lush vegetation near the idyllic lake.

It boasts a modern-looking heart-shaped sculpture, which features the stylized word “Hanoi” in the center.

On the front and back of the base are nearly 200 photos which depict the capital’s landscapes, people, hallmark architectural structures, historical events, and artworks.

Thuy hand-picked the photos and printed them on a special type of ceramic herself before affixing them to the structure’s base.

Surrounding the structure are four benches which are also coated with ceramic and adorned with carvings of the capital’s hallmarks including Mot Cot (One-Pillar) Pagoda, the Hanoi Flag Pole and Long Bien Bridge as well as recently built civil engineering structures.      

The “Trai Tim Ha Noi” sculpture faces Thanh Nien Street, one of the city’s nicest streets.  

Next to the sculpture is a mural coated with over a million small ceramic cubes.

The mural vividly portrays blooming lotuses and waterfowls and is reminiscent of Tay Lake’s signature lotuses, which have been shrinking in numbers in recent years.

Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thu Thuy hand-picked the photos and printed them on a special type of ceramic herself before affixing them to the structure’s base. Photo: Sports and Culture Newspaper

Thuy is also the author of a 4 km-long ceramic mural in Hanoi, which was recognized as the world’s longest of its kind by Guinness World Records in late 2010.

The mural, which spans a 3,950-meter dyke section along the Red River in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh Districts and covers an area of 7,000m², has been alarmingly damaged since being built.

Construction of the mural began in 2008 based on Thuy’s idea, which verged on the impossible in expert opinions.

The masterpiece features 21 mosaic sections which depict various themes, ranging from decorative patterns used in feudal dynasties and employed by 54 ethnic peoples, kids’ paintings, to contemporary works by local and international artists, and folk paintings.

The project attracted major interest and contribution from local and foreign artists and artisans, international organizations, and embassies.

More than 100 international artists spent weeks and even months at the site working on certain sections.

Several also provided the organizer with special ceramic.

The work adopted a huge number of ceramics from noted local pottery villages including Bat Trang, Phu Lang, and Chu Dau and vividly reflects Vietnam’s charms and summarizes its history.

It was one of the major projects to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long- Hanoi in October 2010.

Thang Long, which means “soaring dragon,” is the old name of the Vietnamese capital city.

CNN also covered the project in one of its programs in September 2009.

The highly sophisticated mural earned Thuy an award, which highlights individual contributions to the capital, in 2009.

She was named one of the city’s outstanding citizens the following year.

Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thu Thuy's 4 km-long ceramic mural in Hanoi, which was recognized as the world’s longest of its kind by Guinness World Records in late 2010. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thu Thuy (middle) is seen receiving the record certificate for her 4 km-long ceramic mural in Hanoi, which was recognized as the world’s longest of its kind by Guinness World Records, from the organization's representative (right) in late 2010. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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