Hien Cao Art

* Lost Identity The work ' Lost Identity, (2021)'  is a mould of my own current head, is made of latex and cloth and filled with beehive - inspired by Marc Quinn's self-portrait, a head made from the artist's own blood that requires a refrigeration unit to preserve it. Latex is an easy material to shape but difficult to destroy once dry; my features will remain forever after my life. This latex-fabric self-portrait is a self-reflection of my own identity and my origins. In my generation, the children of migrants have one foot inside and the other outside. We are not from here, nor are we from there. We grow up and realize that our identity is not pure, but a hybrid. There are moments when curiosity flourishes to know one’s own lost identity. The search is like a jigsaw puzzle in which there are still some pieces missing to complete it. The diversity of cultures, multilingualism, and the experiences that I have lived through in different places have given me great wealth...

* Crossing to the other shore 'Crossing to the other shore, (2021)' To understand the structures of society and human behaviour, many authors use the beehive as an anthropological analysis. In "The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us (2004)", Bee Wilson notes that “the beehive has been, in turn, monarchical, oligarchic, aristocratic, constitutional, imperial, republican, absolute, moderate, communist, anarchist and even fascist. However, never democratic.” The piece "Crossing to the other shore, (2021)" is a textile latex structure imitating the perfect geometric shapes of the beehive. The cloth damaged, torn and creasing, it evokes the worn nations, deteriorated by patriarchal laws, conflicts and forced migrations. The choice of latex is due to the similarity of appearance it has with human tissue. Anne Hamlyn pointed out that the clothes are “surrogate skin, a body at one remove." The skin is the largest bodily organ. By using the animal's ski...

* 'Art Immune' Where Science ends and Art begins. In “Art Immune”, varieties of colour and texture are captured to illustrate shapes and forms of bacteria and viruses, generally considered unwelcome specimens.  Ironically, there is a natural beauty to these repulsive microorganisms which cannot be viewed by the naked eye and have claimed many lives.  Initiatives such as the  “Clean Hands Save Lives”  throughout healthcare sectors are vital to first-class health. Fortunately, we may continue to admire the mysterious beauty of potentially deadly killers in a safe way. Hien's inspiration comes from warning signs placed around the hospital  ‘please wash your hands .'  In order to know how to lead her project, she has researched microbes and bacteria. She worked in a laboratory GMIT. Michael Grogan, from the department of Biopharmaceutical and Medical Science GMIT, gave her assistance and demonstrated how to use the equipment in the lab. One of the microsco...