Pham Huy Thong is a social commentary artist from Hanoi, Vietnam.  His works are primarily oil on canvas that have a strong focus on socio-economic problems within Vietnam. During his second major solo exhibition, several works were removed from the show by police request, because of their politically provocative nature. While he says that he is often seen as critical and judging, he wishes instead to portray a message of reality and vision.

Most recently Thong has produced a new series called “Hand” series. As people in society, we always have to act under social norms and conventions. In doing this, our identities are lost. Thong wishes not to portray a particular person, the individuals in these paintings are said to be hiding their true identities and thinking to adapt to social norms and expectations. Thong removes the subject’s head and replaces them with hands. Hands have the ability to depict a wide variety of human emotion such as anger, power, fear, happiness, etc… The people in Thong’s Hand series look very alive, active and sly even though the viewer cannot be sure of their identities.

You may be wondering what the significance of the turtle is. In Vietnamese Temples and Pagodas, you can often find sculptures of turtles carrying panels on which history, moral lessons, or the names of scholars are carved. Thong believes that turtles are a symbol of good Vietnamese culture, tradition and education.

Pham Huy Thong is one of the rising stars within Vietnam’s art world. He has shown extensively throughout Asia and into Europe and now he makes his vision seen in the US. Pham Huy Thong has shown us that there is a way to express yourself through art and to also stand uo for what you believe in. He is a new and rising star in the art community because of this, and for that we thank him! 

Browse all of Thong’s most recent work on his exhibitors page at Koo de Monde.

Koo de Monde fell in love with a line of furniture that blended a fun attitude with impeccable craftsmanship, top-notch materials and innovative design. All of their pieces push the limits of furniture design. We are of course talking about, our newest exhibitors, JG Custom Design LCC!

They say the company started as a group of kids who had some free time, power tools, and a great imagination.  In 2008 Jordan Goodman, the force behind JG Custom Design, turned a hobby into a full time business. Goodman has a background in Architecture but it was his eye for detail that led him to furniture design. We are glad it did!  JG Custom Design has amazing pieces of furniture when seen from a far. As you walk closer and actually interact with the pieces, you start to notice all of the smaller details you hadn’t before. It simply amazed us! 

In their bio they explain the process of their works. “From conception to construction, JG Custom Design takes great care in the design process, which begins with an electronic rendering. This illustration gives the team the ability to render each piece in its proposed environment, while getting a sense of the dimensions of both the space and projected final design. Each piece is then carefully crafted from the finest materials. Most notably, the JG Custom Design process is not complete until meticulous detail has left a unique mark on the product, and thus maintained a certain voice— whether it be of the designer or that of a client.”

Not only do they create pieces that can be sold on their own, they also work with clients to create unique one-of-a-kind furniture pieces.

Just like a book, furniture cannot be judged by first glance. JG Custom Design has made us look closer at every piece of furniture we interact with from now on and for that, we thank them! 

Koo de Monde is so proud to have JG Custom Design, as one of our four new exhibitors this month! Another new exhibitor is Dick Buckley! Stay tuned to read our blog post about Dick Buckley and the announcement of the other two new exhibitors! 

Wendy Shapiro is an up and coming artist in the Boston area. She uses a paint brush to capture the world around her.  Wendy grew up in New England, traveled through Italy and France, and has made her way back to her old stomping grounds. She now has a family and a thriving artist lifestyle. Wendy is a very interesting person, and has great insight into the art world of Boston. Georgia, a member of the Koo de Monde team, set out to find more about Wendy and her art.

Georgia:  How did you get started? What led you to creating art?

Wendy: I grew up in New England where I started classes at Danforth Museum of Art early on.  I continued taking night classes through high school where I focused mainly in drawing, black and white and still life.  In college I started to explore color theory and studied abstract art, screen printing, sculpture and graphics.  I was immediately drawn to large scale work.

When I moved cross country to California I was encouraged to explore with color and medium. 

G: What inspires your monochromatic paintings?

W: Since relocating back to Boston I have continued to experiment with texture and color.  In my last few series from copper, earth, black and white you can see an ocean and sandy landscape that I once called home.  You can also find the industrial and concrete life of Boston, hidden in metallic and roughness among the calming sea.

G: How important is your process to the content of the work?

W: My process is very important since I usually give myself a year to reflect.  I have in my mind all these ideas of what I expect and want to explore as far as color and texture.  It's always about what's next and how I am feeling about that time in my life.  It's interesting because I never know how a piece or series is going to turn out until after the process, and that is exciting to me.

G: You create your paintings in pairs…why is that?

W: I realized that creating two identical pieces is next to impossible for me, so I decided to create two at a time.   At the same time this also gives me a larger canvas to work upon.

G: How long did it take to develop an audience in the Boston area?

W: Joining the Fort Points Artists Community (fpac) in 2005 has really helped me develop; not only an audience, but it has also pushed me to keep trying something new and fresh.  They have an Art Walk every spring and Open Studios event every fall.  Boston is also a smaller city which I feel makes it easier for an artist to receive recognition. 

G: Where can your work be found?

W: I am currently showcasing a collection of my series at Barlow's in South Boston, as well as some pieces selected by deCordova's Lending program at various businesses in the Boston area. 

G: Where would you like to expand next?

W: I am looking to do commissioned pieces and larger works for hotels, boutiques, spas and yoga studios, for example.  I want to create larger than life work or even installation pieces, site specific.  My artwork is calming and contemporary and I would love for it to be recognized on a larger scale.  I enjoy the process of knowing what colors people are drawn to.  I tend to work in neutrals but I know that color is personal preference.

G: You create one series every year…what's in store for your next one?

W: Lately, I have a lot of ideas and I am unsure what will work on a large scale.  I am thinking something organic and eco-friendly.  Right now I am very drawn to wood, so maybe I will explore in that direction.  I love that people are asking me what's next, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to share my art and to see how people react to my latest work once it comes to fruition.

Wendy has an amazing talent. We are extremely excited to have met her. We here at Koo can not wait to see what Wendy will unveil next. Her creative personality shows through her modern paintings. Her technique is a unique one and we have fallen in love with it.  She was very gracious to take the time to meet us and give us an amazing and inspiring interview. Wendy has made us look at monochromatic modern art in a new light, and for that we thank her. 

To find out more about Wendy Shapiro, visit her site: 

http://www.shapirodesigns.com/