Following the impactful installation of ‘Flower of Life’ at the renowned Château La Coste castle in southern France in November, Tia-Thuy Nguyen is set to captivate audiences once again with her upcoming solo exhibition, ‘Sparkle in the Vastness.’

The exhibition is scheduled to run from January 11 to February 24, 2024 at the prestigious Almine Rech Gallery, one of the world's largest and most esteemed art galleries.

Bringing back 20 captivating works to Paris, Tia-Thuy Nguyen is poised to showcase her distinctive talent for narrating engaging stories through a diverse tapestry of life.

She adeptly ‘plays’ with materials, demonstrating a profound mastery of embroidery techniques and traditional crafts.

Notably, her skillful integration of light with her artwork enhances the overall experience, crafting unique visual and emotional journeys for the viewers.

The destiny of encountering Almine Rech

Established in 1997 by French businessman and artist Almine Rech, the Almine Rech Gallery has quickly become one of the leading art galleries in Paris and globally.

At present, the exhibition hall boasts numerous branches worldwide, including locations in Brussels, London, New York, and Shanghai.

Leveraging its extensive experience, the Almine Rech Gallery excels in curating opportunities and spaces to showcase distinctive works of art, while also serving as a platform to introduce emerging talents to a global audience.

In addition to running the famous gallery, Rech is also the co-founder of FABA (Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso), an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pablo Picasso and maintaining an extensive archive of his works.

Rech's representative said they have researched and followed Tia-Thuy Nguyen's artistic journey for a long time and realized her talent and dedication through her works.

Therefore, the Almine Rech Gallery decided to organize a solo exhibition dedicated to Tia-Thuy Nguyen and the commencement of this exhibition at the start of 2024 serves as a luminous milestone to mark the beginning of the new year.

"This combination is not only an artistic collaboration, but also the intersection of two creative minds,” Tia-Thuy Nguyen shared about the serendipitous encounter that shaped her destiny.

“I bring my own ideas and perspectives through my artwork, while the Almine Rech Gallery has the expertise and experience in providing opinions and artistic advice.

"In my perspective, this embodies the destiny linking the creator, the artwork, and the audience.”

Sky with real sparkling clouds

‘Sparkle in the Vastness’ draws inspiration from the sky and clouds, yet Tia-Thuy Nguyen chose to articulate this theme with a blend of tangible and intangible elements, crafting a nuanced representation.

The stories told by her father of his air force career influenced Tia-Thuy Nguyen's sharp observation abilities and curiosity and the way she has lived and faced the world around.

Inspired by her father's success, the artist has embraced virtues such as patience, determination, and resilience, incorporating these values into both her life and artistic endeavors.

"I hope that ‘Sparkle in the Vastness’ will bring wonderful experiences and create ‘sparkle’ in the hearts of those who enjoy it," Tia-Thuy Nguyen confided.

In addition, the artworks are also inspired by ‘My Way: The Way of White Clouds’ by Osho (1975).

In 2018, Tia-Thuy Nguyen began focusing on observing the interactions between sunlight, wind, and clouds, creating different physical shapes and colors in the sky.

She consistently envisions herself as a cloud, projecting her emotions onto its ever-changing shapes, mirroring the fluidity influenced by the wind.

The paintings serve as Tia-Thuy Nguyen's personal journey diary, chronicled from an unconventional 'cloud-watching' perspective—a viewpoint from an airplane window, gazing down into the troposphere.

To convey the hues of the sky's clouds, inspired by insights from a pilot in the Vietnamese air force, Tia-Thuy Nguyen opted to elevate her approach and experiment with innovative composition techniques.

She explores a spectrum of paint colors, incorporating thousands of sparkling beads and utilizing extensive lengths of colorful wool fibers, all intricately woven with jute and bamboo fabric. This meticulous approach results in vibrant and dynamic interactions within her artworks.

Through this process, a harmonious interplay between light and shadow emerges, casting captivating effects on the surface of the artworks.

The distinctiveness of this collection extends beyond the conceptualization and materials; it encompasses the artist's adept control over the play of light on each transparent, sparkling bead.

A subtle vibration within the artwork induces movement in the beads on the surface, allowing the clouds to transition between states of gentle calmness and intense strength.

The perception of the clouds within the artwork varies for each viewer, influenced by the environment in which the work is placed.

Light reflects across the surface, perpetually altering the texture of the artwork in an ongoing play, akin to an ever-changing game.

As a result, each individual's experience of Tia-Thuy Nguyen's work is bound to be unique and dynamic, ensuring that no two encounters are alike.

Tia-Thuy Nguyen's special position in contemporary art world

In the introduction to Tia-Thuy Nguyen's exhibition on Almine Rech Gallery, Mara Hoberman – researcher and editor in the field of art and culture – commented: "Tia-Thuy Nguyen has upgraded and experimented with a new compositional technique, helping works go beyond their inherent stereotypical expression framework to focus more on the viewer's experience.”

Hoberman particularly lauded Tia-Thuy Nguyen for her adept development of painting techniques reminiscent of renowned artists like Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro.

Through these techniques, she skillfully captures the ephemeral effects of sunlight and shadow on clouds, as well as the expansive interplay between heaven and earth.

"My father's stories have played a significant role in shaping my capacity for keen observation and thorough research, influencing not only my artistic endeavors but also my approach to living and confronting life's challenges," Tia-Thuy Nguyen referred to her solo exhibition at the Almine Rech Gallery.

“Patience, determination, and striving are also values that I have learned from his career and applied to my life and artworks.

"I aspire for 'Sparkle in the Vastness' to offer delightful experiences and evoke a luminous 'sparkle' in the hearts of viewers.”

Being invited by the Almine Rech Gallery to organize a solo exhibition underscores Tia-Thuy Nguyen's distinctive position in the contemporary art world.

These accomplishments also stand as significant contributions in her ongoing journey to revive and rejuvenate traditional crafts and Vietnamese folk arts.

Some of Tia-Thuy Nguyen's artworks that are set to be exhibited in Paris: