As an Asian American artist, I want to pay a tribute to my culture and my
parents. My current work that I’m making is centered around my upbringing in
Minnesota, but also incorporating Lao and Chinese customs. My parents didn’t
approve of pursuing a career in an art field, but I am passionate about furniture
and continuously pushing myself to evolve my work.
I’ve traveled to Laos multiple times and I never appreciated the
craftsmanship that went into making a piece of furniture in Laos. It’s really
difficult to find information on Laotian furniture. Being there and having a family
that I’m able to contact and ask questions is a great advantage. I had the
opportunity to visit a woodworking shop. The tools and machines they have are
old and outdated, but the furniture that comes out of the workshop is incredible.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have new tools as long as you have the passion the work
will speak for itself. My main goal is to inform people about my culture and the
background history of Laos. It’s really hard to get information about Laotian
furniture, but I will continue to research and inform whoever’s interested in fine
detailed woodworking, specifically in carving wood.
As a young furniture designer, I’m continuously striving to take as many
risks that I can. This past year my focus has been on Laos and my culture. I
want to show my voice through my furniture.