Voo Visits: Tra My Nguyen

Voo Visits is a series introducing new and old friends of Voo, like-minded creatives and people from Berlin who inspire us.

For this episode we met with Berlin-based artist and designer Tra My Nguyen in her studio overlooking Neukölln. Working across the fields of fashion and art, Tra My explores social and cultural dynamics with an intuitive approach and an emphasis on deep research. After having graduated with a master’s degree in fashion design from UdK Berlin, she is now showing her first exhibition in South America reflecting on public life and its cultural and social context.

We spoke to the artist about heritage, personal connection and her multi-disciplinary creative practice.

Voo Store: You’ve graduated with a master’s degree in fashion design at UdK Berlin. How does fashion influence your art practice?

Tra My Nguyen: My background in fashion design greatly influences how I’m approaching and processing materials. I embrace the opportunity to experiment with various materials and utilise the craftsmanship I have acquired through my studies creating garments and collections. But my interest for fashion really extends beyond its aesthetic realm. I am captivated by its socio-cultural implications. This fascination serves as one of the main sources of inspiration for my artistic practice.

V: You’ve generated a lot of unwanted attention a few years ago when a big fashion house copied the result of your Master thesis’ research process. Now you’re exhibiting this project for the first time outside Europe and in a non-university context as part of a group exhibition about public spaces in Argentina. Can you tell us more about the origin of this project? How does it feel exhibiting it outside the walls of fashion education?

TM: The starting point of this multidisciplinary work stems from the vivid memories of my childhood back home in Vietnam. I have a very special memory of riding motorbikes with my family on the streets of Hanoi. When I visited Vietnam back in 2018, I recognised female motorists wearing specific sun-protective garments called quần áo chống nắng. I wanted to explore this specific street style more in-depth, investigate its socio-cultural impact and the intersection of gender, mobility and classism in the context of Vietnam. I had this idea of deconstructing those garments and creating an interdisciplinary project from it that would dissolve the boundaries between fashion and visual art disciplines. The body of work included a fashion collection, a video installation and a series of textile sculptures.

V: Obviously this project is very personal to you. What role does personal connection play in your creative practice?

TM: My artistic practice revolves around the exploration of diasporic memories and the profound reconnection to my cultural heritage. In my work I aim to recontextualise material culture within the realm of global modernism, such as street style and motorbike culture in Vietnam.
One of my preferred techniques involves collaging materials, for instance textiles, and applying silicone.

V: A material that frequently appears in your work.

TM: Yes. The allure of silicone is that it has the ability to create the illusion of a glistening, wet surface, which can be simultaneously repulsive and captivating to the audience. It invites them to engage with the artwork. Symbolically, this technique serves to preserve (diasporic) memories while also embracing a digital aesthetic as I incorporate digital media like moving images into my creative process too.

V: You have used this technique in your latest project as part of a residency in Saudia Arabia as well.

TM: During the residency I developed a the project called ‘Relic for the Future’. The work is a site-specific and mixed media installation that consists of silicone, textiles, and bricks. It draws its inspiration from the residential architectural elements in Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, two countries that experienced rapid modernisation at different periods of time in the 20th century, each with its own unique set of circumstances and consequences. The project marks my reflections on traces of modernism and urbanisation as well as their transformation of our perception of public and private spaces as well as dwellings. The aim was to challenge our perception of domestic spaces by drawing parallels across cultural, social and emotional post-modernist urban contexts and their frail promises.

V: How do you feel about Berlin and the creative industry? I feel like a lot of artists and designers live and work here but present their work elsewhere for better visibility.

TM: Living here fills me with an immense sense of privilege. The city is where I have found my supportive group of friends, a beautiful home, and a dedicated studio space, it’s where a lot of very talented artists and designers live. Having all of these elements that bring me joy conveniently located in one place is a blessing. It’s undoubtedly advantageous for artists to have their work exhibited on an international stage, but I believe that Berlin serves as an excellent starting point for any artistic practice development.
For now I am very happy to be here, but as life progresses I might find myself wanting to change and move somewhere else. Who knows.

V: What are you excited about for the rest of this year?

TM: I am very excited about my upcoming exhibition in Argentina on July 8th, it will be my first time visiting South America. I’ve put some time aside to travel to Buenos Aires after the show, I’m really looking forward to explore the city and eat all the good food there.

Photos: Javier de la Blanca
Words: Marie Wez