Vietnamese artist shows installation masterpiece in Monaco

Ngo Minh

Dec 09, 2024 / 08:13 PM

With Drops of the Sun, Tia-Thuy Nguyen has created a space where light and quartz intertwine to create an inspiring masterpiece on the Mediterranean's richest land.

Hanoi-born artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen has demonstrated intense creativity throughout her artistic journey, especially large-scale installation Drops of the Sun, officially unveiled to art lovers in Monaco, becoming a unique part of the transformational project Mareterra.

The opening ceremony on December 7 was attended by prominent figures and officials in Monaco, including Prince Albert II of Monaco and Monaco's Prime Minister Serge Telle.

Part of Tia Thuy Nguyen's artwork. Photo courtesy of the artist

Mareterra, a new district under construction in Monaco, marks the collaboration of a team of world-leading designers, architects, engineers and ecologists working in harmony with the environment.

With a deep reverence for the ever-changing essence of nature, Tia-Thuy Nguyen spent time at the site of the Mareterra project. She discovered that the location captured the rugged beauty of coastal cliffs and the brilliance of natural light, inspiring her artistic creation.

A close look at the Quartz cloud. Photo courtesy of the artist

Accordingly, she created Drops of the Sun which has four main components: Natural light; Quartz cloud painting: With over four tons of quartz collected, selected and crafted, this vibrant piece simulates drifting clouds; Light Prism; Reincarnation Window.

Tia-Thuy Nguyen expressed her happiness at having a Vietnamese artist represented among the world’s artists, bringing her country's fine arts closer to contemporary artistic values within Europe's largest construction project.

Drops of the Sun artwork stands 2.6 meters tall and spans 5 meters, covering all four walls of a room approximately 25 square meters in size.

Tia Thuy Nguyen (left) and distinguished visitors in the quartz room. Photo courtesy of the artist

To create this artwork, Tia-Thuy Nguyen and her team of 25 faced numerous challenges, from selecting the appropriate quartz to crafting each detail so that the colors transitioned seamlessly through multiple layers. In particular, the light prism required meticulous calculations to ensure both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity while suspended. After more than 15,000 hours of work, the equivalent of two continuous years, the masterpiece is officially complete.

Drops of the Sun continues to showcase Tia-Thuy Nguyen's exceptional talent for perceiving light and her advanced techniques in arrangement and stone setting. With a light frame on the ceiling, the artwork is entirely exposed to natural light, allowing for changes in color throughout the day or in response to different weather conditions. In this moment, the experience of the beauty of the quartz clouds will depend on the time and the mood of each individual who enters the space.

"I am eager to welcome the rich and varied imaginative stories of the viewers, and most importantly, to uplift the concepts of freedom, love, and healing. Each time one is immersed in the natural energy of the stone paintings in the room, they will receive more than what they seek. Standing in the room opens up a perspective on life; it could be a cloud, it could be the sky, it could be the universe," said the artist.