INTERVIEW: Lien Nguyen
It’s always interesting to know the story behind beautiful works of art, how it came to be and what inspired it. Lien Nguyen is an emerging ceramicist who mastered her art in London but is now back in Perth to share her talents. When she’s not creating, she’s whipping up amazing meals for her family and friends or tending her plant babies. She recently sat down with Ria to talk about her new business, growing up as a creative and rediscovering her love for the arts whilst thousands of miles away from home.
Lien Nguyen. Photo credit: Isabel Marcelo.
How would you describe Lien Nguyen in your own words?
As a brand? Well Lien Nguyen is just me. I’ve never thought that hard about my online branding which is probably bad for being a marketing major. I’m just here to stay true to myself and share what I want to share. I’m just that weirdo girl that shares a lot about her life, loves to cook and makes ceramics.
What is your earliest creative memory?
Growing up I was always encouraged to be creative. My Grandad is an artist, so art is something I’ve always been surrounded by. As a child my parents worked a lot so my aunties would babysit my brothers, cousins and I on the weekends and they would always make the point of getting us to do something creative. We would recreate a lot of the creations from the TV show Art Attack and my Aunty Lan, taught me how to sew. I think I was around 8 when she taught me how to sew a bedding sheet set so I could sleep over at her house. I’m so grateful that my aunties encouraged all this creativity, I think it’s why I love learning and exploring new mediums to this day.
You mentioned on your site that living in London reconnected you with your creativeness. How did travelling influenced your creativity?
The years between finishing high school and moving to London, I lost touch of my creativity. So moving for me was to get to know myself better, it allowed me to give myself time to explore creativity. London is filled with people passionate about creating and sharing their passions. They have a confident and stubborn outlook on creativity which I love. Stubborn in the way that they know what they like to create and they themselves think it’s of value, they don’t care what others say or think because this is their own expression. Of course art is subjective but seeing so much stubbornness really helped me to start creating again. Even if it was shit to start with, it helped build my confidence in myself and my art.
What got you into pottery? And how did it become something you wanted to turn into a business?
Pottery has been something I’ve always been interested in. I’ve always loved working with clay and creating sculptures. I think a lot of it came from my Grandad.
In London I was exploring different mediums through workshops. I signed up for a pottery course with Turning Earth and after my first day everything just clicked. Pottery had been the medium I was searching for. Creating on a pottery wheel is so meditative for me, it helps me feel grounded and calm. A lot of mediums make me feel this way but I just had a feeling that this was the one. I was never the sort of person that thought they would work for themselves or felt passionate about pursuing anything in particular for a career. I was always had the opinion that I would work a corporate 9 to 5 and work my way up and that would be it, because a job is a job. So when I found pottery and realised that I had all this passion for it, I just wanted to make it happen and share it with others.
Your first collection is currently a work in progress. How is that going for you? What should we expect? Where do you believe you struggle and how do you manage those difficult scenarios?
I started with such a clear image of how everything would look but as I kept creating I realised that my taste has changed. So right now I’m still experimenting but I definitely have more clarity on what I want my first collection to be. I’ve decided that I’m going to explore making my own glazes so that I can create colours and finishes that are exactly how I want them to be. Expect vessels! I’m very into making them right now and also pots for all your plants!
I felt like there as so many other ceramicist out there that I focused on being original but what I was creating wasn’t really me. So I had to take a step back and just create what I like and what I would like to have in my own home. My biggest struggle though has been self-doubt. I think all artists have a bit of self-doubt in them. For me I think it comes from perfectionism and all the pressure I put on myself. To deal with it I just tell myself that I’m creating what I like and that won’t and will not be for everyone and that’s okay. If I love my work then that’s enough for me to put it out there. I’ve really had to work on not overthinking and over analysing my work. I’ve had to keep telling myself that I only just started learning ceramics two years ago, I’m predominately self-taught and Lien Nguyen Ceramics has only officially been pursued for 3 months. It’s still early days so I need to give myself a break and stop with all of the negative self-talk.
Photo credit: Isabel Marcelo.
Is there a pottery community that helps you with questions/learning? How beneficial do you think it is to be surrounded by people who believe in you and your abilities?
Yeah there’s a huge pottery community in Perth, I was actually a bit shocked when I moved back about how big the community had grown. I get a lot of help from my materials supplier and the community. I think that the pottery community is really supportive of one another. Everyone is willing to give advice and support which is lovely.
Being surrounded by people believing me is so beneficial! They encourage me everyday to be and do great things. My first lot of commissions this year were from family and friends. I was just starting out so no one had seen any of my work and I really hadn’t finished any pieces but they all asked to order pieces from me. They’ve definitely boosted my confidence in knowing that my dream I’m pursuing with Lien Nguyen Ceramics is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m so grateful for all the support they’ve given me on this journey.
How do you think organisations like Propel can further help young creatives like you when it comes to pursuing your creative careers?
Creative markets are a great idea! I think it’s great for the creatives to all connect and see what other’s art looks like and it also gives us face to face interaction with the people interested in our art. I think it’s great to be given the chance for a more personal interaction with the people that support our passions.
Some sort of group page or platform to connect with other creatives is also a good idea, not only does it enable us to connect with others with similar interests but having a creative community that supports each other is helpful for everyone pursuing a creative career. A platform like this would enable collaborations and encourage us to step out of our creative bubbles and meet other creatives in different areas.
Any words for those who are also thinking of starting their own business or wanting to use their creative skills?
I say just do it! We all fear failure to some degree but if you’re completely passionate about it, pursue it. Don’t let fear hold you back. When we fear something those are always the things we should be doing. As long as you're being authentic to yourself, there will always be people who share the same passion or interest who are willing and wanting to support you.
Photo credit: Isabel Marcelo.
Photo credit: Isabel Marcelo.
Lien’s first collection is currently on the way and she’s also accepting commissions for 2020. You can follow her journey through her website wherein she also shares a bit more about herself through her monthly journal.
WRITTEN BY: RIA MAGLINAO
PHOTOS BY: ISABEL MARCELO