2024
Garden
Regarding my personal monumental
Multi-material sculpture
In my sculpture project titled "Garden," I explore what makes something a monument. For me, it's not just about size; it's about the meaning and memories attached to it. After hearing the topic of personal monuments the image of an old buffalo statue from the 2003 SEA Games, which has been imprinted in my memory since my early age, flashed in my mind. It was displayed in a high glass cupboard, where it stood proudly, its heroic pose made it seem more like a monument to me. My parents bought it to celebrate my birth year, and it became a symbol of my beginnings and their pride in Vietnam hosting the SEA Games.

As I grew up, the buffalo statue became less prominent in our home, especially after my younger siblings arrived. It eventually ended up in the attic, forgotten but not entirely lost. When I found it again, all the memories came flooding back, deepened by the passage of time. This change inspired me to create "Garden," which reflects how memories can grow and change without us even noticing. In this piece, I use a glass terrarium which is an independent ecosystem that can survive without much care. This represents how memory can grow and create its own garden in our unconscious mind without active recall. Particularly moss, moss is resilient and can flourish in various environments, it can grow on most forgotten objects over a while. Just as my feelings about the buffalo statue grew richer over time, I want to illustrate how our memories can evolve, creating a garden of emotions.

Dec 10, 2024.

➔ DOWNLOAD PDF