The "Fields of Resonance" exhibition is taking place at the Almine Rech gallery in Shanghai from 28/8 to 31/10. This event marks Thuy Nguyen's first presentation of her work in China.

The central theme, "clouds", has been a focus for the artist since 2018, particularly in her painting series "I, my, me, cloud". Thuy Nguyen shares that clouds evoke memories of her father, a wartime pilot. Over the years, observing the sky during her flights between Asia and Europe became a visual journaling habit and a lasting source of creative inspiration. She emphasizes that her art doesn't depict external landscapes, but rather her internal emotional responses to nature.

Thuy Nguyen next to the artwork "Fairer than a Fairy". Photo: Courtesy of the artist

A highlight of the exhibition is the large-format mixed-media painting "Fairer than a Fairy". This piece reinterprets golden cloud halos using intricate beadwork and glitter. The layering of beads creates a tactile, three-dimensional effect, giving the painting a sculptural quality beyond a flat 2D image.

Demonstrating material versatility, the artist also experiments with stainless steel, a durable material that contrasts with the ephemeral nature of clouds. In her installation series "The pause between storms", she introduces a novel technique of weaving stainless steel into cloud-like forms. This process transforms the inherently hard and resilient material, imbuing it with a sense of softness and creating a visual tension between lightness and weight, fragility and permanence. The delicate steel strands are shaped into structures reminiscent of clouds, and from a distance, they echo the aesthetic of 17th-18th century landscape etchings.

One of three artworks from "The pause between storms". Photo: Courtesy of the artist

In another notable work, "Enduring Vitality", stainless steel replaces pencil lines to depict tall, reaching tree branches. This piece extends beyond the traditional canvas, spreading its imagery across the exhibition floor and walls.

Beyond mere depiction, these artworks delve into questions about the nature of reality. They explore how changes in perspective can fundamentally alter human perception of the surrounding world.

Audience admiring "Enduring Vitality". Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Tac pham "No matter how far away".

Tac pham "Like a sky breeze".

Tac pham "Many contradictory flowers".

Thuy Nguyen, 45 years old, was born in Hanoi and began her artistic journey under the alias Tia - Thuy Nguyen. She held her first solo painting exhibition at 18. After graduating from Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 2006, Thuy Nguyen spent 8 years studying in Ukraine, successfully completing her doctor of fine arts dissertation in Kiev.

Upon returning to Vietnam in 2011, the artist expanded into the fashion industry. She launched numerous collections imbued with traditional cultural elements, including Lung lieng, Gio mua ve, Coc cach, Vien man, Mong mi, Tinh tang, Tim nguoi trong mong, and Ru ho xu xang xe cong.

Thuy Nguyen has previously presented solo exhibitions in France in 2019, 2022, and 2023, featuring acclaimed works such as "Silver Room", "Floating in the Nothingness", and "Flower of Life". In 4/2025, she transformed a xa cu tree, felled by Typhoon Yagi, into an installation titled "Hoi sinh" (Revival) at Co Tan flower garden in Hanoi.

Y Ly