I stand as a trans woman from the Tày tribe.
Welcome to my wooden-pillar Tày house!
I know what it’s like to be exiled by a father and born without a mother. To be an artist long before anyone called me one. To write until the words made me a writer. Creation is how I build a safe, imaginative haven—for myself, and for others.
Growing up as a trans woman in patriarchal Vietnam, in an abusive household, I learned to embrace the role of an absorbent vessel—both mother and child. In my Rapunzel-like tower of entrapment, I nurtured myself through art, continuously absorbing and transforming my reality through an iterative mixed-media process that involves drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, and collage. I salvage and observe the little, abandoned things I identify with in the physical world around me, translate them through my artistic lens into new creative materials, and then recycle those materials almost mindlessly to create new art pieces. If rendering each element requires the control and craftsmanship of a mother, then assembling them is the playful work of the child.
Elements come together in my art in layers and subconscious compositions. They often reflect nature, the environment I grew up in, fashion materials, aspects of my current queer life, and the human body—shaped by both the female gaze and an intimate fascination with gender identity. I want to cultivate the diverse materials around me through art the way my tribal ancestors cultivated their natural environment: with sensitivity and spirituality, preserving intricacies and richness in color and texture through various drawing and painting mediums, while remaining attentive and respectful to both my chosen subjects and the inherent properties of those mediums themselves.
As I wander through the landscape of art-making, I often find myself stumbling into a self-referential, endlessly generative cycle of creative rebirth—where my mind, my body, and the materials around me merge into one. Making art is how I channel and harness my femininity to contribute to a kinder, more accepting world: how I become more tender, loving, and sensitive to my surroundings—both organic and artificial; how I learn to inhabit the home of my body with ownership and conviction, while simultaneously existing beyond its physical confines; and how I connect to the larger—often forgotten and undervalued—legacy of my Tày ethnic minority heritage.
My Tày house's three wooden pillars
My first pillar
The Visual
Visual art speaks to my soul. Each piece of mine reflects a gender-multifaceted identity and multilayered cultural heritage.
The Verbal
Poetry captures the essence of my transformation and identity, crafted through intimate reflections and the way the elderly in my tribe pass on narratives with such vivid imagery.
The Love
I’m part of several art communities that foster connection and support through art while encouraging self-expression.
My second pillar
My third pillar
Look into my future through the glass orb
Look once
Books and prints
Third-party print-on-demand integrations help bring my artworks and poetry to the masses. I plan to continue writing and archiving my art for future publications.
Empowerment through art
Wherever I am in the world, I will hold community art and writing workshops.
Gallery Work
Labor-intensive art pieces for the gallery space.
Look twice
Look thrice
What my heart sheds its petals for
My Vision
To empower my voice and voices worldwide, especially the quietest, through the transformative power of art, creating a more inclusive community.
My Mission
Through my work, I aim to celebrate individuality and culture, fostering deep, meaningful connections among people and encouraging self-discovery within the realms of art and poetry.
