Now on view at Gotham is “Beaded Bodega”—an exhibition of featured works by the self-taught hand-beading embroidery artist Vi Nguyen. Showcased in the space’s mezzanine gallery, Nguyen’s iconic beaded snacks offer nostalgia-inducing renditions of vintage and Asian-inspired snacks. On August 21, New York guests gathered to celebrate the new artworks, which were displayed alongside matching munchies, CBG seltzers, wine, and music by DJ Bobbytrends from Hot97.
In celebration of the show’s opening at Gotham, Whitewall spoke with Nguyen about her creative practice and how work centered around food sparks nostalgia and nuance.
Courtesy of Vi Nguyen.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
“Beaded Bodega” Debuts at Gotham
WHITEWALL: Your tagline is “Where snacks meet beads.” How did the intersection of food and art happen?
VI NGUYEN: As an artist, I look for creative inspiration in my day-to-day life. That life for me is often centered around food and snacks. Grabbing a meal to catch up with a friend; having an emotional support snack to help you change your mood. Enjoying a baking activity with your favorite niece. Traveling home with a luggage of international snacks to share. Growing up in my culture, it’s customary when coming to someone’s house to never come empty-handed. Food and snacks play a huge part in my life, so why not let it inspire my artwork!
Photo by Rebecca Peloquin, courtesy of Vi Nguyen.
WW: Where did your interest in each start, and then merge?
VN: I realized how much personal joy I had whenever I discovered something that was food shaped or inspired made into something else. Like thrifting a vintage french bread knife shaped like a baguette made of wood, which is sitting right beside a garlic-shaped cloche holding salt and pepper. I open my book and have a stick of butter-shaped bookmark holding my page. Everyone online is going wild over food-shaped stools from TJ Maxx for a reason! There’s just something about food inspired things that bring fun, joy and a playful side to life that I want Beaded Bodega to also embody.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
Vi Nguyen’s Self-Taught Creative Practice
WW: You’re self-taught. How did this type of creative practice come to be?
VN: I’ve always been a creative person but didn’t always get to fold my creativity into my everyday career which was more people focused. I never let that hold me back from having creative outlets, usually having to do with making something by hand.
In 2020, the pandemic encouraged so many people to take the time diving into a slow craft like puzzling or learning something new. I had tried traditional hand-embroidery before so it felt like a great time to dive back into that slow craft and learn something new. I discovered beadwork and learned the beading basics through books and YouTube and since then, there’s just been a lot of trial and error but that’s the fun in learning something new. I love it’s an art that I can bring on-the-go with me and lets me become meditative with beading away.
“I’ve always been a creative person”
–Vi Nguyen
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
WW: Can you tell us a bit more about your show at Gotham, and how guests can experience your work in a new way here?
VN: Gotham has the most inviting store and the perfect mezzanine for my show. The design of the space embodies the Beaded Bodega brand, but the star of the show of course is the artwork. You’ll get to see my beaded artwork in person for the very first time! Very few people have actually seen my work in person. There is an incredible beauty in being able to see the glitz and glam of shiny beadwork under a spotlight. You’ll get to see the color, detail, and dimension, which isn’t always captured in a flat photo on social media.
I will be showing a few pieces from each category, aka your bodega aisles, from my current collection. You’ll see infamous chips, cheesy snacks, sweets treats and memorable asian goodies.
Photo by Rebecca Peloquin, courtesy of Vi Nguyen.
WW: How does showing work in a space like this feel?
VN: I feel proud of myself for getting to where I am today. It might be a solo show but there was nothing solo about this project. I am incredibly thankful to partner with the Gotham team on this. From our first conversation, the like mindedness of our brands made for a match made in heaven. I am so honored to be able to do this and see my artwork hanging in a beautiful space for people to purchase. It’s also a little bittersweet selling your art for the first time. There’s so much excitement to hopefully seeing it up in someone’s home but also there’s sadness to part ways with something you created.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
Snack Bags, Beads, and More
WW: Each piece features hand-embroidered beadwork. What is your starting point, and then how does your creative process evolve until the piece is complete?
VN: A big part of capturing brand packaging is color-matching the beads. My primary choice of beads is size 11/0 Miyuki Delica glass beads. These beads come in an amazing selection of colors and finishes. After color matching the beads and creating a rough template, I start beading the logo, the center point of the piece. Nailing the typography is my favorite part and often the most time-consuming. Working from the center outward is also helpful because sometimes the bead spacing and sizing don’t always align as you planned. Unfortunately, I don’t always make the food to scale because I want to ensure I capture certain details but can only use so small of a bead. Throughout the creative process, I let the beads guide the way. Some snack bag shapes take their own form, which I love, much like a real bag. There are often times I bead a whole section and don’t like the color or some things off with the design and will completely redo it. And undoing beadwork is no fun task but all part of the creative process to get to that final piece.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
WW: What’s your favorite snack—to eat? Which one is your favorite—to bead?
VN: This is a great question because I love to ask others this and sometimes forget my own answers. My favorite snack is without a doubt chips. It’s hard to say a favorite flavor or brand because it depends on the mood. Cheetos Fries was my first beaded artwork and one of my favorites. Can’t go wrong with just about any Doritos (I love cool ranch, spicy nacho, and salsa verde) or keeping it classic with sour cream and onion potato chips.
Honestly, everything has become my favorite to bead. I’ve hesitated to start complex designs like Haribo Goldbears and Sour Patch Kids but absolutely love these two pieces. But I’ve also hesitated on beading “too minimal of branding” like Doritos Cool Ranch because I want to bead more details but this royal blue packing stands alone in bead form and is truly stunning hanging under the gallery light right now.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
Nostalgic Treats at Gotham
WW: Some of these treats pull on nostalgia for you. How so?
VN: The Asian snacks probably hold the most nostalgia for me. I am a first-generation Vietnamese American. My family and parents are refugees from Saigon, Vietnam. In their mid to late twenties they escaped the war and eventually made their way to Southern California where they completely restarted their lives. One of the easiest ways to still keep Vietnamese traditions alive was through food. We were lucky enough to live by Asian supermarkets. It was always an experience going to the Asian markets with your family. As a kid, it wasn’t always the most fun having to go but when we did, we often got a little treat at the counter. A small pack of Marukawa Gum or a box of Pocky sticks. Budgets were tight but my family would always allow us to get something small and that small thing has become some of our best memories.
Curtesy of Vi Nguyen.
WW: What are you working on now/next/for the rest of 2024?
VN: Hopefully I can continue to bead and get my artwork into the hands of my community! I want to continue partnering with like-minded people and companies. I’m starting to stock the Beaded Bodega aisle with all your favorite beverages. Folks will be able to shop my website for artwork and merchandise later this year. And I will also open a small window for commissions. So much more to come for Beaded Bodega! Thank you all for supporting and following along!
