statement

I have a great admiration for the craftsmanship and peaceful nature inherent in the intricate hand-dyed kimonos created by innovative Japanese artisans thousands of years ago. I am equally impressed by technological advances in textiles and resources that are available today. I explore these opposites--pushing in new directions--using hand hewn techniques while imbuing a contemporary sensibility in each piece I create. The materials themselves, both traditional and manmade, allow a synergy of age-old technique and new technology. I look to nature, architecture, fashion, and costume design for my surface design inspiration. As lines are broken and boundaries stretched within our world today, fusion is essential and, for me, is a quiet meditative journey.

As with intricately folded origami, my process begins with folding or pleating a rectangular piece of white cloth, most often silk. I stitch and manipulate the fabric throughout the dyeing process until deep, rich color and layers of texture unfold. Detailed machine stitching reveals additional subtle texture and dimension. Just as unpredictable beauty emerges from the ordered law of nature, so my craft culminates in a process involving both planned manipulation and the element of chance. The excitement of working in this way--delving into an element of unknown nature--pushes me further. I am amazed by the rhythm and movement of textiles around us, by how a rectangular piece of cloth can be reconfigured to accent the natural curves of the human form in the same way that sleek, modern architecture can highlight a natural landscape. Past and present, old and new, curved and angular merge to create fusion.

bio

Amy Nguyen’s life is full of texture and color. From a young age, she remembers admiring the colored spools of thread arranged by her mother for quilting and sewing. Today, she uses these threads daily in her fiber work. As far back as she can remember, Nguyen has been sewing and creating. Mostly self-taught, she’s learned many of her techniques from books. She created her first full-size quilt as a teenager and then began stitching and patterning her own clothes. Her love of art and fashion continued throughout high school after which she went on to pursue a degree in studio art from the College of Charleston, SC.

In her college years, she became involved in photography, sculpture, painting and costume construction, showing her first work at the Halsey Gallery, SC as well as building costumes for main-stage productions at the College of Charleston. After graduation, she began patterning and creating fashion designs and played a major part in creating the set from spandex for the 25th International Emmy Award Ceremony in New York City. In the mid-90s, Nguyen collaborated on a small project with Mary Edna Fraser, reknowned batik artist. Following this, Nguyen’s began translating her own paintings to work on cloth. While working at New York University’s Department of Design for Stage and Film, Nguyen was inspired further by her creative surroundings and costume designers such as Susan Hilferty. During that time, she began working with liquid dyes and first became fascinated by Japanese shibori.

In 2004, she attended Penland School of Crafts to study with Yoshiko Wada and Joy Boutrup. Many doors opened from that formative experience and Nguyen began creating whole shibori pieces to be stitched into wearables and home decor. She continues her research and learning taking workshops with such surface designers as Jason Pollen, Surface Design Association president and Akemi Cohn, katazome artist. Nguyen’s work is available in galleries and boutiques, through trunk shows and through her website. She has been greatly inspired by living in Charleston SC and New York NY. She currently lives in Boston MA, with her husband, whose rich Vietnamese heritage continues to provide a strong influence on her fiber work.