Lan Nguyen-hoan
Born in Canberra in the 1980s, Lan Nguyen-hoan had to negotiate a divide in culture between her Vietnamese home life and the world beyond the family household. While attempting to find her path through the challenges of racism, introversion, and self-doubt, Lan sought solace in making art. Since childhood, processes such as drawing, sculpting, and photography fascinated her—which would eventually lead to life as a practicing artist. After invaluable experiences with dabbling in architecture and industrial design, Lan finally found a field in which she could excel. Studies in gold and silversmithing allowed her to acquire an intimate knowledge of materials and develop refined skills in working with metals in particular.
Beginning with First Class Honours, Lan’s achievements demonstrate her passion and commitment as an artist. Noteworthy milestones include an artist residency in Germany, supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, and an Honourable Mention at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale Exhibition in South Korea. However it was during practice-led research when Lan’s approach to making matured; she was awarded several scholarships and Doctorate of Philosophy in Visual Art from the ANU School of Art + Design. In 2021, she was a finalist in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, with her work being Highly Commended.
My work explores landscapes of the soul and mind. Visually, this manifests in the form of carefully constructed scenes and objects that utilise skills attained during my undergraduate studies in gold and silversmithing. A focal point in my making involves investigations into how a hammer and anvil can manipulate metals. The metal components are made as multiples, which are brought together to create a cohesive whole. Further to my approach in crafting objects and landscapes is the importance and influence of materials.
Over a five-year period of practice-led research, while working towards a PhD, I investigated the fluid movement of both practice and substance. In my research I observed that the substances I handled often influenced me as much as I manipulated them. And the crafting of a masterwork requires one to become both immersed in the process and entwined with the material/s. Moreover, combining substances propels the potential for nuanced complexity within a work. My approach to becoming fluid with my materials seeks to enhance, accentuate, and draw attention to both the magnificence and limitations of what can be achieved with the materials I choose to work with.