Artists Casting Spells on the Dead: Untold Hardships

Prolonged exposure to corpses, costly chemicals, and cancer risks are just a few hidden challenges that make biological specimen preservation —the art of preserving lifeless creatures—fascinating yet demanding.

In a dimly lit studio, skillful hands gently shape the fragments of a once lively creature, now reduced to a silent relic, revealing the haunting beauty of death. In biological specimen preservation, science, art, and passion intertwine, resisting the never-ending flow of time. Yet, behind the mesmerizing displays and promise of profit, lie untold obstacles, as mere passion often falls short in immortalizing the complicated beauty of nature in preserved form.

An introduction to specimen preservation (video by THE WEWS)

Specimen preservation comes in various methods, including skeletal preservation (bảo quản xương), taxidermy (nhồi xác thú), and diaphonization (nhuộm xương). Skeletal preservation involves cleaning an animal’s bones and connecting them in the correct order to reconstruct the original form. Taxidermy, on the other hand, is the art of preparing and shaping an animal’s skin over a framework to create lifelike representations. In diaphonization, soft cells are made transparent while bones and cartilage are stained to reveal the internal structure of the specimen.

Duck taxidermy by Thien Nguyen

Diaphonized work of Mr. Thang

A snake skeletal display

Some works that represent the three preserving methods

Unseen Obstacles

The process of specimen preservation presents several challenges, namely health safety, preservation techniques, expenses, social stigma, and business expansion. 

Preserving biological specimens demands strict safety measures to prevent health risks. 

Ms. Sally Tran - founder of Phong Trung Cot Sac Hoc - the only bone-stained specimen gallery in Vietnam - shared: “Once, I got infected when a scalpel fell on my thigh.”

Ms. Loan, a 22-year-old diaphonization artist in Hanoi, emphasizes the need for specialized protective facilities, such as a gas mask, and a controlled lab environment when working with formalin, a cancer-causing substance, or potassium hydroxide (KOH), which is highly destructive. These chemicals are toxic to health, possibly causing allergies, burns, or skin and lung cancer. Therefore, chemicals must be handled with extreme caution and proper safety protocols. 

Commonly used chemicals in diaphonization (Photo from a private lesson's slide of Nguyen Viet Thang - a diaphonization artist)

Maintaining specimens also raises certain hardships.

“The preservation process relies on specific conditions, including temperature and humidity, or other external factors like weather. For example, improper storage during humid weather can lead to discoloration or damage" according to Mr. Chung (24), a skeletal preservation artisan. 

Mr. Chung's working space where his specimens are displayed (Photo by THE WEWS)

In taxidermy, specimens are commonly covered in glass frames to protect against insects, as Mr. Thien, founder of Limcatcher, a specialized taxidermy business, explains. Additionally, Ms. Loan advises that they should be shielded from prolonged sunlight exposure to prevent fading.

Specimen preservationists also face financial burdens.

“When I started doing diaphonization, I continuously made a lot of mistakes while joining the pieces, as some skeletons are extremely complicated. Those broken models undoubtedly waste a huge amount of money. Also, certain chemicals imported from Europe are priced in the millions of Vietnamese dong. So as a student at that time, it was quite difficult for me to pursue this art,” noted Ms. Loan. 

Moreover, societal stigma around collecting carcasses and displaying deceased animals in homes can complicate the pursuit of this art form. Some oppose killing animals for specimens or find exhibiting departed animal bodies disturbing.

Mr. Chung sharing difficulties when pursuing specimen preservation (video by THE WEWS)

The Vietnam market for specimen preservation is still in its early stages due to limited awareness, especially in the northern regions. Additionally, given the average income level, many Vietnamese, even if they appreciate the art, may not be willing to spend money on specimens solely for display purposes. Consequently, most Vietnamese artists pursue specimen preservation as a passion rather than a primary business. Young artists often share their works within enthusiast communities rather than promoting them widely, while some prioritize attracting international clients over domestic ones. Artisans like Ms. Loan and Mr. Thang, a 19-year-old artist in Ho Chi Minh City, mentioned that while they have a small local following, a large number of customers come from overseas, particularly the US, Australia, and Canada.

A prominent Facebook group for Vietnamese specimen artists (photo by THE WEWS)

Gleams of Hope

Despite many challenges, the art of biological specimen preservation in Vietnam shines with promise. Emerging enterprises like Phong Trung Cot Sac Hoc captivate the souls of not only specimen enthusiasts but also the general public by offering unique experiences. Visitors to this exhibition can explore the distinctive and colorful diaphonized models of different animals by interacting directly with the specimens, learn to draw the specimen models by themselves, discover the science behind this extraordinary art form, or even bring one of these remarkable creations home. 

Inside the Phong Trung Cot Sac Hoc in Vung Tau (Photo by Sally Tran)

These initiatives, in spite of their modest scales, are trying to promote this art form to the public and cultivate a solid foundation for devotees of this unique craft. It is our hope that more galleries will emerge in the future, further enriching and expanding the accessibility and significance of art for all.

Storing biological specimens of wild and rare animals is illegal in Vietnam.

- Storing wild animal specimens can result in fines of up to 500 million VND under Decree 157/2013/ND-CP, Article 23.
- Penalties for storing specimens of wild, endangered, precious, and rare animals can include up to 15 years in prison under the 2015 Penal Code (amended in 2017), Articles 234 and 244.
- Nationwide, from 2015 to 2019, 245 cases with 356 defendants were tried for violating wildlife protection regulations under Article 234.

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Acknowledgment

Special thanks to our contributors - Mr. Chung, Mr. Thien Nguyen, Ms. Sally Tran, Ms. Loan Nguyen, and Mr. Thang Nguyen, for their valuable assistance in crafting this article.

Some visuals in this article are provided by our contributors.

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