Artist statement
“Layer upon layer I dye, with materials from earth and human, paying attention to the science and chemistry necessary for enduring practices. Pattern upon pattern, I stitch what I feel, based on my human experience and the capacity of resilience and plasticity. I construct my textiles to reflect the evolving world in which I live and which lives in me, where forms of strength and fragility and hues of movement and stillness exist. In the abundant space between the polarity of these worlds, I am exposed to an elusive stillpoint where everything becomes one.”
Amy Nguyen’s life work is at the intersection of mind, body and material. She brings together line, shape, color, form and pattern into her fine and functional textile art with firsthand knowledge of the capacity of natural materials and curiosity of the human body. She integrates movement and stillness, creating layers of sensory experience to those who come into contact with her clothing and surroundings. Through her hand, a strong sense of flow and possibility are imbued into her work. Amy continuously explores, in both her textile work and mind/body practice, connections to the nature of energy, somatic experience and neuroplasticity.
Honoring age-old tradition along with sharing human experience and vision is integral to Amy’s work. She has studied with textile masters Yoshiko Wada, Akemi Cohn, Kiranada Sterling Benjamin, Catharine Ellis, and chemist Joy Boutrup, and brings these roots together with understanding of mindfulness and body movement. Years before, after initially pursuing a degree in marine biology, Amy connected with the colors and patterns of nature and obtained her degree in studio art. She went on to take formative classes at Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts + Crafts in shibori, katazome and roketsuzome with these textile masters. After traveling to Japan where she observed the fundamental integration of mind, body and material, her creative path further aligned with her mind/body practice.
In 2005, Amy began exhibiting her textile art and has been acknowledged and received awards from the American Craft Council, CraftBoston, Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, Smithsonian Craft Show and Ornament Magazine. She has been featured in numerous publications and has guest lectured and led workshops at venues and institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts.
As a lifelong student of dance and movement, including yoga, meditation, tai chi and qigong, Amy’s curiosity is supported by the wisdom of many teachers including Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, Master Cheng Man ch’ing, Eva Wong and the work of Dr. Peter Levine. Her daily studies include training in tai chi, medical qigong and the Eight Active Ingredients with Dr. Peter Wayne, Stanwood Chang, Jane Moss and Regina Gibbons in Boston.
She lives and works from her studio in the historic arts community of Fort Point, Boston with her husband Ky and their dog Kuma.
About the artist
