» To Make A Life Is To Make A Circle

In To Make A Life Is To Make A Circle, Tuan Andrew Nguyen explores the ways in which material contains memory and holds potential for transformation, reincarnation, and healing. The work is inspired by the people of Quang Tri, in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, which was one of the most heavily bombed areas in the history of modern warfare. For multiple generations, its residents have lived with the physical residue and lingering trauma of war. Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, thousands of farmers have died from UXO (unexploded ordnances) and approximately 80% of Quang Tri is still contaminated by undetonated mines and explosives. In the face of this grim reality, the ongoing recovery and creative repurposing of these ordnances is a testament to the perseverance of the local community, which Tuan observed firsthand during his time spent in the region. They have used these remnants of destruction as raw materials with which to build and rebuild their lives, for uses as varied as building materials, tools, craft, and currency. Making singing bowls from scrap UXO metal, the artist reveals deep wounds that, in truth, cannot be forgotten, only transformed: fragments of brass, made to the sound of explosions, with time come to know the vibrations of song.

(Edited from text excerpts provided by James Cohan Gallery)