Drawing inspiration from Hòn Non Bộ—Vietnamese miniature rockeries that grace the courtyards of rural homes and the sanctums of temple grounds—Duong Thuy Nguyen’s work meditates on the enigmatic nature of space. Within the hollow of the sculpture, space is not merely a void to be filled, but a presence to be understood—both physical and philosophical. To engage with it is to enter into a quiet dialogue, one that acknowledges space as an active force, even in its perceived absence.

The incorporation of bánh tráng (rice paper), a material at once delicate and enduring, reflects the precarious balance between fragility and strength. It gestures toward the resilience found in both organic and constructed environments, bridging the gap between natural topographies and human-made forms. Here, material becomes metaphor—fragile yet persistent, ephemeral yet grounded.

Nguyen’s work becomes a vessel for the (de)construction and transformation of the personal and collective spaces we inhabit. It traces a landscape of layered memory—tangible and reimagined, actual and illusory—while invoking fluid geographies of “here,” “there,” “nowhere,” and “everywhere.” Through this sculptural terrain, space unfolds not as a fixed container but as a site of continual becoming—where perception and presence are in flux, and the boundaries of being are gently, insistently redrawn.