RMIT’s cross-cultural efforts to nurture creative talents

đây đó (here/there) is a continuation of ‘Skilled Hands, Shared Culture’, a cross-cultural exhibition hosted by RMIT Gallery in 2020. It featured the work of 10 Australian and 10 Vietnamese artists, designers and craftspeople, exploring the links between artmaking and community.

It was officially launched as part of the Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design (VFCD) and is supported by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, CAST (Contemporary Art and Social Transformation) research group at RMIT University, RMIT University Vietnam, RMIT Culture, VICAS (Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Art Studies), Vietnam Design Week and Vietcraft.

The project opens up opportunities for cultural, economic and knowledge exchange between makers and designers from the two countries to present new art, craft and design.

In the opening event of VFCD 2023, representatives of RMIT University, the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City and VICAS also presented the ‘Emerging Design Talent Awards’ to four young talents of Vietnam as part of the đây đó (here/there) project.

The young winning artists will receive advice and guidance to promote their designs, craft products and contemporary art practices while also preserving traditional art forms.

Speaking about this award, Australian Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City Sarah Hooper, said: “đây đó (here/there) is a great example of how we can continue to build on our links in the fields of art and culture. To build on those links, we need more and more talented and committed people in both of our countries. We need to ensure that talent and commitment are recognised and nurtured.”

Recognising emerging artists and their work

In 2021, the first stage of the project supported four emerging craft and design artists from Vietnam: Tom Trandt Minh Dao, Pham Hoang Linh, Luu Nhu Ngoc, and Nha Dam Han. They were mentored by Vietnamese and Australian experts, including Rimi Khan, Becky Lu, Grace McQuilten, Thao Nguyen and Tammy Wong Hulbert, to develop their designs for international audiences and markets. The outcomes were presented as part of the Vietnam Design Week and VFCD 2022.

A project created by Tom Trandt Minh Đạo, Quấn recalls the breeze of urban culture and Vietnamese community with a design approach that strongly focuses on sustainable elements.

Highlighting the hidden wit of local people and balanced with aesthetics and functionality, Quấn is a friendly and youthful introduction that portrays the image of urbanisation in Vietnam. The collection supports the sustainable movement of the fashion industry by using recycled materials from Saigon.

Founder of Linht Handicraft, a brand of clothes made from natural, naturally dyed fabrics of ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam, Pham Hoang Linh collaborated with two other creatives from Hanoi (Thao Vu - Kilomet109) and Melbourne (Dewi Cooke - The Social Studio) to bring a collective understanding of the significance of cultural heritage in contemporary design and fashion making.

Linh’s design and making skills are at the centre of this collaboration. She works closely with Dao Tuyen people in northern Vietnam to learn how they make yarn from plant (ramie and hemp) fibres. Her experiments with weaving, knotting and natural dyeing techniques benefit from this community knowledge, from the design expertise of Thao Vu, and from the industry knowledge of Dewi Cooke, whose work with migrant and refugee makers in Australia also reflects a commitment to community-engaged and socially responsible fashion.

Khứ Hồi, created by Luu Nhu Ngoc, is a set of ceramic mosaic artworks designed at the Temple of Literature. The product is a two-way street that can be recalled from the past and back into the present when using lotus flower images and tortoise steles in the Temple of Literature. The project centres itself on the theme of 'awakening to traditions' and considers ceramic traditions in relation to issues of the sustainable reuse of materials.

Ngoc was supported by mentors Le Ba Ngoc of Vietcraft and Australian ceramicist Jennifer Conroy-Smith to develop wall pieces which can act as a souvenir for visitors of the temple.

Emerging Vietnamese industrial designer Dam Nha Han collaborated with Managing Editor of ELLE Decoration Vietnam Thuy Duong Nguyen Phan, Australian designer and researcher Ronnie Lacham (RMIT University) and Australian designer co-founder of furniture and object brand Dowel Jones, Dale Hardiman to create Nhà (Home) - a living room TV shelf inspired by the ancient three compartments of Vietnamese architecture.

Applying the indigo dyeing technique and using wooden materials with bamboo fences, it brings a new experience and enhance the aesthetics of the room.

Recently, Tom Trandt and Pham Hoang Linh attended a residency program in Melbourne, Australia. As part of Melbourne Fashion Week 2023, RMIT Culture and the CAST research group at RMIT proudly presented a pop-up exhibition featuring these two talented Vietnamese designers.

The exhibition showcased textiles, garments, accessories, along with video documentaries and photographs of Tom and Linh’s works, and received significant attention and visitation, including a sold-out public talk.

During the Melbourne residency, Tom also conducted a textile repair and design workshop and was featured in the highly regarded Critical Fashion Studies podcast. Meanwhile, Linh participated in a special pop-up retail event at The Social Studio, a fashion-based social enterprise with a strong following in Melbourne.

Story: Ha Hoang