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“The cloud has no destination — yet it moves everywhere.
White clouds are not conquerors, yet they float above all things.
You cannot defeat them, you cannot possess them.”
— Osho, The Way of the White Clouds, 1975
Floating in the Nothingness
2022
‘Floating in the Nothingness’ is an exhibition of 45 works by Tia-Thuy Nguyen, focuses on 3 different states of the cloud: transformation, transition and transparency. These studies had added significance as her own father was a pilot during the Vietnam war. Through literature the artist also explored the poetic nature of the cumulus, particularly the book ‘My way, the way of the white clouds’ by the Indian spiritual leader, Osho. Since 2018, she instils a sense of looking above the clouds, offering a link between heaven and earth, between the real and the celestial. and originating from regular travels between Asia and Europe. From the plane, her sketches and photographs of the sky became a type of visual journal.
As if it is (Như thể nó là…), 2023, embellishment on canvas, 350 x 200 cm
These works on canvas have thousands of sequins and beads sewn directly onto the surface. Rays of sunlight hit the surface of the works and the beads and sequins dazzle and dance, as if animated, so that no two viewing experiences are the same. This technique has roots in the artist's work as a fashion designer, the richness of the textures offer a tactile dimension to the canvases, giving volume to the forms imagined by the artist.
I, MY, ME, CLOUD
by Tia-Thuy Nguyen