Thu Huong Nguyen is a Vietnamese-born contemporary jeweler, metalsmith, and illustrative artist currently based in Adelaide/Kaurna Land. She graduated with a Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) from RMIT University in 2022 and later pursued a Master of Design (Contemporary Art) at the University of South Australia.

Thu Huong has exhibited in galleries and art fairs across Vietnam, Australia, and Europe. She is a recipient of the Helpmann Academy Postgraduate Exhibition Award and the Constance Gordon-Johnson Sculpture Prize (2025). She is currently an artist-in-residence within the University of South Australia’s Contemporary Art department.

Thu Huong’s philosophy involves combining her fascination with industrial mechanisms to explore themes of technological advancement, body dysmorphia, nostalgia, and the social and economic changes in Vietnam and contemporary society. She is particularly interested in mechanizing organic forms—such as the human body, animals, and plants—to demonstrate the rapid influence of technology on human evolution, cultural heritage, and societal values.

In much of her work, tactile movement plays a central role, allowing objects to open, close, collapse, unfurl, and transition between different states. By enabling viewers to interact with these moving elements, she encourages curiosity and engagement with the work.

Through the merging of traditional and contemporary elements, Thu Huong reflects on the desire to preserve her country’s cultural values while embracing the unpredictable future of an ever-changing world.

My making philosophy combines a fascination with industrial mechanisms and a desire to explore themes of technological advancement, body dysmorphia, nostalgia, and the social and economic shifts of contemporary society. I am particularly interested in mechanizing organic forms—such as the human body, animals, and plants—to illustrate the rapid influence of technology on human evolution, cultural heritage, and societal values.

Tactile movement plays a central role in much of my work, allowing objects to open, close, collapse, unfurl, and transition between states. By enabling users to interact with these movements, I invite curiosity and foster a deeper engagement with the work.

Through the interplay of tradition and innovation, I aim to reflect both the desire to preserve my country’s cultural values and a willingness to embrace the unpredictable future of an ever-changing world.

As a Vietnamese artist rooted in a traditional culture, my practice has always been about seeking control. Life often feels unpredictable, and it is only through the act of making that I can anticipate, guide, and shape what is before me. These mechanical jewelry pieces become windows into a world where I can decode, deconstruct, and transform the imagery of my surroundings into the forms I envision.

The Craft & Code exhibition offers an opportunity to tell the story of Vietnam’s evolving landscape—a place where nature intersects with technology, and tradition adapts into new forms that we must learn to navigate. I am grateful to the Cluster Crafts team for giving me the chance to share my vision on an international stage.