We were lucky to catch up with Thương Hoài Trần recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Thương Hoài thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Ông Bà is a project that begin in June 2021 to honor and celebrate my family members. Originally, this series started as a way to depict my four grandparents–three of whom have passed away.

Towering from heights of 88”-98” tall, each weaving becomes a monumental image of my family member’s portrait when standing in their presence. The intricate process of creating a weaving starts with the meticulous process of painting their image with dye onto every single strand of yarn. When woven together, the strands produce a ghostly and haunting image. As I weave on my floor loom, I add and switch between sections of red, yellow, and metallic threads throughout the pieces. As the image gets closer to the bottom, I begin to pull the yarn directly out of the image to further disrupt the portraits to symbolize the complexities between our relationships and the fuzzy, painful histories and memories that often go unspoken. After the weaving is completed, I finish them through the time-consuming process of tying feng shui coins to the ends of the threads. The feng shui coins simulate Vietnamese Nguyen Dynasty coins and reference the act of burning joss paper–an act of offering wealth to the spirits in the afterlife. The laborious process of weaving serves as a gesture of dedication through the time-consuming process involved for every portrait, resulting in a body of work that pays homage to my family, and the sacrifices they have made.

In January of 2022, I had a great opportunity to attend an artist residency program at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA during which I began to expand this series by creating two more weavings that depict imagery of my parents. I consider this body of work a continuous series, with ongoing revisions and additions to reflect changes in the family over time. Currently, I am working on weaving these who painted warps. I am hoping to get them to be more resolved by the end of this year and exhibit all 6 weavings in the series in 2025.

Thương Hoài, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am currently an interdisciplinary artist who resides in Chicago, IL. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking through Emporia State University and a Masters of Fine Arts through the School of the Art Institute.

As a Vietnamese American immigrant, I use art-making as a process for self-discovery, learning, and healing. Beginning from a collection of family photographs, I often engage through techniques of sewing, weaving, and various printmaking methods. My work focuses heavily on the process, time, and labor of making as a means of connecting. These images and processes guide me to connect and pay homage to my cultural and ancestral history—helping me to reconcile the gaps created by barriers experienced by those in diasporic communities such as displacement, loss of language, and generational disconnect.

My work focuses heavily on the process, time, and labor of making as a means of connecting to my family members and our experiences. The endless hours spent rendering their likeness in printmaking techniques or weaving on the loom create a space for me to contemplate and physically spend time with their image. The original visual information frequently gets translated through materials and digital processes that distort and fragment the image. These gaps and distances that are created visually allude to the physical and metaphorical gaps and distances experienced by diasporic communities.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I view creating artwork as an opportunity to share my perspective and personal narrative. I hope to create representation for others who often do not feel seen in these spaces. I do not often see other Vietnamese people depicted in art spaces or other Vietnamese Artists. It is important to me that I contribute to the current discourse in art world dialogue. I also want other people who share stories of immigration, belonging to a diaspora, or have ever felt like they have floated between spaces to be able to relate with my work. Another goal of mine is to prompt viewers to contemplate their own familial histories and the intricate relationship between memory and lineage.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the opportunity to connect with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, each with their own unique experiences and perspectives. Whether sharing similarities or exploring differences, these connections help foster a sense of community and belonging that is profoundly rewarding. Another rewarding aspect of being an artist is when someone is able to resonate with a piece I’ve created and feel truly seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thuonghoaitran.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/cupcakes
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thuong.hoai.tran

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Photo Credit to Eugene I-Peng Tang