Admire the art of "painting" with fibers by artist Thao Nguyen Phuong

For Thao Nguyen Phuong, yarn is no longer just an ordinary material. Yarn becomes a "drawing pen"—a canvas where ideas are stitched together, layer by layer. She calls her technique "fiber layering"—completely hand-stitched, layering multiple threads on top of each other to create a thick, textured surface with visual depth.

Enjoying the artworks in the "Thread" exhibition. Photo: Thuy Du

Sharing her thoughts on choosing a unique and almost pioneering artistic path in Vietnam, artist Thao Nguyen Phuong said that, starting from a passion for traditional hand embroidery techniques, she gradually realized that what she was looking for was not just exquisite needlework, but expressiveness, where the thread becomes the material of painting. There are no fixed patterns. Everything begins with a block of color in her mind, then gradually, the thread "communicates" with the thread, until the colors blend together like breath.

Artist Thao Nguyen Phuong shares about her artworks. Photo: Organizing Committee

Artist Thao Nguyen Phuong combines a variety of techniques: traditional and modern stitching, appliqué, thread scattering, layering threads… and especially “color perception,” which means using the artist's subtlety and intuition to complete the work. Each thread, each stitch not only creates an image but also preserves the heartbeat, breath, and passion of a fiber artist.

The exhibition "Threads" is the culmination of 10 years of quiet pursuit by Thao Nguyen Phuong of a discipline almost never mentioned in Vietnam. The female artist wants to invite the public and art lovers to step for the first time into what she calls "where threads breathe."

The exhibition takes viewers through four spaces, corresponding to the stages of growth in the creative journey of artist Thao Nguyen Phuong.

The exhibition begins with "Unfinished Works," showcasing unfinished pieces, tangled threads, and misplaced stitches. Instead of hiding them, the artist chooses to expose these imperfections as part of her journey – because, for her, beauty sometimes lies in imperfection.

Next is "Inheritance," a space that marks the process of learning and practice. Here, she "recreates" famous works using threads, not to copy them, but to engage in dialogue with her predecessors, to try to experience an old language through a new medium.

The exhibition attracted the attention of many art lovers. Photo: Thuy Du

Moving on to "The Self," viewers begin to see the artist's strong and instinctive individuality. The overlapping layers of fibers create a sense of interwoven emotions, intersecting the boundaries of reality and memory.

The final space, "The Beginning," features the most completed works, the culmination of over two years of meticulous hand-stitching by the artist. This space also marks a new beginning for creativity.

To complete each piece in the "Threads" exhibition, artist Thao Nguyen Phuong spends 5 months, sometimes nearly 3 years. Every step is done by hand. In the artist's studio, there are not only needles and thread, but also hammers, drills, staple guns, lights, wrenches, and rulers, like a carpentry workshop. The artist personally constructs the frames, stretches the canvas, hammers nails, and secures each layer of thread.

An impressive artwork at the exhibition. Photo: Organizing Committee

For nearly 10 years, Thao Nguyen Phuong taught herself, experimented, made mistakes, and corrected them to find her own language. Without a fixed blueprint, she started from her emotions – letting the thread guide her, letting each layer of thread blend together to form shape, color, and breath.

The artist says that her journey with fiber doesn't end at the canvas. She believes that fiber art can go further, stepping out of the exhibition room to be present in life, not just for decoration, but also for interaction and engagement.

The exhibition "Fiber" runs until November 7.

Here are some glimpses of the exhibition space: