With a desire to do something useful to protect the environment, Nguyen Thu Huyen, a student at the Industrial Design Department of Hanoi Open University, had a science theme entitled “Unforgotten Scraps” that received great praise from people. It won the first prize for science research of the faculty and a consolation prize of the Education and Training Ministry. With this science theme, she initiated using fabric scraps from tailor shops to create unique works of art. Then, she and two her friends, Dam Phuong Chi and Dieu Thi Hoa Hong, established a group to make them.
 Nguyen Thu Huyen makes fabric artworks.  A set of artworks of beautiful women.   Fabric artworks with the style of Dong Ho folk painting.    Fabric artworks with the theme of the countryside.   Fabric artworks of portraits. |
According to Huyen, making art from fabric scraps is rather complicated because each step requires subtle, sophisticated and creative input from the artists. Pieces of coloured fabric are chosen and cut, and images are drawn on each piece. These are then put together with milk glue - a special adhesive. The most difficult step is using scraps to create faces with different emotions and the most sophisticated one is taking out every fibre to create the landscape of rice fields and waves of the sea. A combination of colours and images is found in works depicting landscapes and love.
Huyen said that her art reflects different themes, such as folk, abstract, children and landscapes. Sometimes the artworks can also be made in custom designs requested by customers. At present, her main customers are foreigners so she focuses on folk paintings. Vietnam’s characteristics and identity and the beauty of the nature and the people always impress foreigners.
Recently, their creations on the traditional costumes of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam were displayed at the Vietnam Women’s Museum. The enthusiasm and creativity of people like Huyen and her friends have given local people and foreigners another art form that expresses Vietnam’s cultural identity.
Story: Vinh Hung - Photos: Trinh Van Bo
