TUJ Art “vision”
When I create, there is another side of reality that I envision in my head. Something as simple as a hand, or a piece of fruit has another story inside of it. I don’t want to show a story, but rather I want people to see on a microscopic level something that’s so obvious and simple and we see it everyday.
It’s not wrong to see things as they are. However, when we start to accept things as they are, there is a chance we will take them for granted. I questioned the imperfections and the perfections and I want to focus on showing another side of something everyone sees in everyday life. This comes in all forms like our emotions, mental being, and as well as something we called our trash.
Just like my emotions, sometimes heavy and light, red and blue represents those emotions for me. I am drawn to these tints of colors more than others since it can connect with me and my vulnerable side as an artist. Despite that, I still like to experiment with light and dark contrast on a variety of colors in my work. Imagining another world in my head is the other reality I want to reveal. To make something ugly feels beautiful, or to make something which doesn’t have much value and significance in this world feels big and special. That’s another reality that lies beyond something we all see.
Graphic Design
Old And New 1
2018, May
Mixed media collage (magazines, newspaper, typography)
Old And New 2
2018, May
Mixed media collage (magazines, newspaper, typography)
Mashed Up 1
2018
Mixed media collage (transparent papers, magazines)
Mashed Up 2
2018
Mixed media collage (transparent papers, magazines, typography)
Commercial works
2021
Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
2020
Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC
2020
Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC
Photography
2015
Digital Photograph
2015
Digital Photograph
2015
Digital Photograph
2015
Digital Photograph
Oil Paintings
Collarbone
2018
Oil on hardboard panel
27.3 x 22 cm
Treasure Box
2018
Oil on hardboard panel
41 x 31.8 cm
Grab
2018
Oil on hardboard panel
41 x 31.8 cm
Egg Yolk
2018, November
Oil on hardboard panel
27.3 x 2 cm
Printmaking
2019
Linocut
27.3 x 22 cm
Intertwine (1st print)
2019
Ink on paper; monoprint (stencil on copperplate)
29.5 x 20 cm
Intertwine (2nd print)
2019
Ink on paper; monoprint (stencil on copperplate)
29.5 x 20 cm
Fallen 1
2019, April
Ink on paper; monoprint (stencil on copperplate)
30 x 20 cm
Fallen 2
2019, April
Ink on paper; monoprint (stencil on copperplate)
30 x 20 cm
Coming Out (Blossom)
2019, April
Ink on paper; monoprint
(stencil on copperplate)
21 x 33 cm
Delicate Reality (Blossom)
2019, April
Ink on paper; monoprint
(stencil on copperplate)
21 x 33 cm
Book Making
A sustainable project: “Your trash glossary you might not know you needed, yet…”
OUR planet
OUR life
OUR trash
we are compile of everything.
every actions we do impact us.
life is an ongoing cycle.
“A Book of Trash” was an accumulation of all the trash produced in one week by
a typical human. The book breaks down all the materials one person produces as
trash, including the material names, their lifespan on this Earth and all the details
one might not be aware of. To raise awareness on the issue of waste and sustainability, majority of the materials used are recycled and repurposed materials.
The Book of Trash
2019, November
Mixed media (cotton shirt, recycled papers, washi paper, cleaned trash materials
(includes plastics, aluminum, cardboard..), used threads, used buttons, stamps)
14.7 x 18.6 x 2.9 cm
Bio
Cat Van Minami is a Tokyo based artist, born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Graduated with a Bachelor degree in Art, Temple University Japan Campus, 2021. She finds inspiration from the little things in life, the things that were left unnoticed, from inorganic objects, to humans and nature. Cat Van’s distinctive style resembles abstract nature and the relationships between life and the environment around us. She works across different media from traditional to digital, and currently focused on sustainability and design.