In the Studio: Hanoi artist Thái Nhật Minh on his latest exhibition “Breeding Season”, minimalism in art and space-specific sculptures.
& Of Other Things visited sculptor Thái Nhật Minh in his studio on the outskirts of Hanoi. Here, away from the city noise and the mayhem of the center he creates his minimalistic sculptures.
Amidst former exhibition pieces like his birds, aluminium heads waiting to be polished, and miniature sculptures serving as sketches, Thái Nhật Minh talked about his latest project, “Breeding Season”. It is being created especially for Manzi Art Space and will be shown there from 13 June to 13 July 2014.
Thái Nhật Minh was born in 1984, in Tam Sơn, Vĩnh Phúc province. He graduated with a master degree in sculpture study from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts and is a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Thái Nhật Minh has exhibited his work at various spaces around the country. He currently lives and works in Hanoi.
Interview by Nguyễn Hương Ly ● Edited by Rose Arnold ● Images by Huong
&: How did you first get into sculpting?
Thái Nhật Minh: When I was little I lived in the countryside. It’s nothing like Hanoi, kids played with anything they could get their hands on, for the most part that was sand and soil. We had no toys, so we invented games to play together.
As for me, I just wanted to go sit in a corner and make toys on my own, using soil as clay. I didn’t really have any ideas of my own, but I really liked the heroes from Vietnamese folk tales and characters from movies that I watched, like the Monkey King. I tried to mold the clay and create the things I liked.
I think as a child I was already into sculpturing, and I just followed that path and the passion it is today formed really naturally. And I continue to have a strong desire and urge to keep doing it.
I admire specific works of numerous sculptors, but none of those artists I would call a role model. There are however teachers who have inspired me. In particular sculptor Nguyễn Nguyên Hà and at university Đào Châu Hải, who helped me find my personal path. Both of them saw my potential and helped me get to the point I am at today. .
&: Why is your art so minimalistic?
Thái Nhật Minh: I believe that less is more. As I learn more about art, I get better at editing unnecessary things out to convey a clearer message with my sculptures. The spirit of a sculpture is the most important thing. I think when decorations are at a minimum and there are few ornaments covering the work, then the message can break through and reach people more easily.
&: Where do you find inspiration?
Thái Nhật Minh: Actually all of my inspiration comes from everyday life. I have no need to look any further. I can be inspired anywhere. When I go to an unusual place, or see something unexpected, that’s when a certain idea crosses my mind and I feel inspired. There are even times when the very familiar and ordinary affects my thinking and evokes inspiration.
For example, for this project “Breeding Season”, I got inspiration from seeing animals hiding and shying away from people. I studied their behavior and realised that they were in heat and looking for partners. I paid attention to their body language, how it changed, down to the smallest detail and somehow it hit me, it gave me ideas. Animals change so subtly during their breeding season and I tried to capture just that in my paper sculptures.
&: Talking about “Breeding Season”, why did you decide to use paper instead of materials you have previously worked with?
Thái Nhật Minh: Paper is a very old-school material, sculptors used it for their work a long time ago. In 2007, I started experimenting with this material and learned how it works. I began by using lime and honey to mix with the paper as was done traditionally to create a stronger texture than you would achieve with paper alone.
I found that with this material I was able to express my feelings and capture them fully without them being altered though a variety of stages. As it retains my feelings directly, I can stop whenever I want and pick the work back up when it suits me. It also allows for an easy edit if things go wrong. The material feels very friendly and affectionate to me, which is why I chose paper for this series.
I chose it over other materials because it has the ability to transfer immediate feelings and express them. My favourite material to work with actually is metal. However, with metal it takes much longer to finish a piece of work. It is a long process with multiple steps. Sometimes it takes months to finish one piece. In contrast the idea for “Breeding Season” was born really quickly and I wanted to capture that so I chose paper as a way to keep the immediacy.
&: When did you start working on “Breeding Season” and how long did it take to get it ready for the exhibition?
Thái Nhật Minh: The “Breeding Season” exhibition at Manzi is unique, as I created the work and the new concept especially for the space. The idea was to create visual art that blends with the space it is intended for. The space and the art are not separate, but rather the sculpture becomes part of Manzi’s living space. This is a contemporary concept called “New Form”, that I’ve been working on as a pilot project for contemporary sculptures.
I first had the idea in February last year. Normally with a sculpture, I first sketch the idea on paper and then I make a mini model to check its balance. Choosing the material, testing it and going deeper into the details usually takes me around half a year. The last stage of finishing a sculpture really depends on the material.
&: When did you start working in this studio and how important is this particular workspace to you?
Thái Nhật Minh: I’ve had this studio since 2010. Having a place to work and to concentrate is difficult [to find], especially in the centre of Hanoi. I view this place [Minh’s studio in Long Bien] as a quiet, peaceful place where I can totally focus on what I do. Calling it a “studio” though is a little too luxurious. I would say it’s simply a place to work and create things.
