Thi Mai Nguyen – Q1 Art Competition – Artist Portfolio Magazine

• Artist Portfolio Magazine – Q1 Art Competition
• Thi Mai Nguyen – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

My artwork reflects my desire for a better and happier world, one in which people of all creeds and ethnicity can live together in harmony and peace. It reflects my yearning for the simpler time of years past, and to urge humanity not to adopt an “economy before everything else” approach to life.

I have worked with various different media, but there are three common ingredients that always influence my work: colors, music and the feminine form.

With colors, I use neutral and rustic colors, to symbolize the old and the simple things in life. Colors that are found in antique pieces like ceramic wares, wooden artifacts and stone wares are commonly used in my work.

Through music, I gain creative energy and inspiration, and is reflected in the color patterns in my work. The hardness of rock music, for example, would be manifested by deep contrasting colors like red and black. Love ballads, on the other hand, might lead to a softer tone and a more harmonious blending of colors.

As a woman, I am proud of the role women play in the world and this pride is manifested in the liberal use of the feminine form in my paintings. The curvaceous shape and beauty of the feminine form also inspires me to include similar curves in my art.

The above three ingredients are ever present in my art work, no matter which medium I happen to be employing to channel my creative energy.