‘Milk for Tonight,’ 2023, embroidery thread, oil pastel on Aida fabric. Image courtesy of the artist and San Art.
“I have gone back and forth between different forms of drawing, for example, charcoal and graphites, and recently oil pastel and embroidery on canvas. During that shifting process of experimentation, I was mainly figuring out how to get closer to the subconscious, or at least a near-subconscious state. I want to explore how to do so most effectively, and most naturally as well. Jumping from one medium to another, I have gained the ability to open myself up and transport myself to this trancelike state of mind, whether for a brief time or a long time, where I am free to respond to my innermost fears and desires.
However, I have had to work through a lot of hesitancy before arriving at this point of comfortable acceptance and becoming open to changes. As you might already know, we were taught in school to become professional artists, and one of the requirements is to choose a main medium and stick with it. Thus, my inconsistency in material or medium can appear unprofessional to some. Nonetheless, as I continue experimenting with different materials, they have helped me understand my state of mind, which is naturally a chaotic place! As I learn to embrace my artistic hopscotch, I slowly figure out how to respond to my personal needs through art making.”
Read the full conversation and Đặng’s profile on Art&Market.
