HÀ NỘI — Paintings, sculptures and installations inspired by clouds and sky and created by Vietnamese artist Tia-Thủy Nguyễn are on display at the Almine Rech gallery in Shanghai, China.

Running until October 31, The Fields of Resonance exhibition marks the Vietnamese artist’s first solo exhibition in the country.

The artwork is the result of Thủy’s continued exploration of clouds, a recurring motif in her artistic practice for many years. Through the imagery, she explores the relationship between humanity, nature and reality.

Her ongoing oil painting series I, my, me, cloud, which began in 2018, draws on memories of her father, a pilot, as well as her experiences travelling between Asia and Europe. Observing and recording clouds during these journeys became a visual diary and a source of inspiration for her artistic practice.

Through clouds, Thủy transforms her resonance with nature into tangible forms. Rather than directly depicting nature, the works channel natural energy and inner vibrations.

The artist has said: “I am not depicting nature, I am depicting the natural energy flowing within me. I am depicting an inner vibration, a free and unrestrained beauty.”

Among the notable works in the exhibition are Like a Sky Breeze (2026), which uses quartz, crystal and steel on stone to evoke clouds; the large beaded fabric work Fairer than a Fairy (2026), which gives the cloud imagery a three-dimensional form; and The Pause Between Storms #1–3 (2026), made from stainless steel using a handcrafted weaving technique.

Thủy, 45, was born in Hà Nội and began her career as a painter under the artistic name Tia – Thủy Nguyễn. At the age of 18, she held her first solo painting exhibition.

After graduating from the Hà Nội University of Fine Arts in 2006, she moved to Ukraine, where she spent eight years studying and successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in fine arts in Kyiv.

After returning to Việt Nam, the artist ventured into fashion in 2011, launching numerous collections inspired by traditional Vietnamese culture.

She has presented solo exhibitions in France in 2019, 2022 and 2023, featuring notable works such as Silver Room, Floating in the Nothingness and Flower of Life.

In April 2025, Thủy transformed a fallen dipterocarp tree, brought down by Typhoon Yagi, into the installation Hồi Sinh (Rebirth) at Cổ Tân Flower Garden in Hà Nội. — VNS