Material Art & Design Medal Winner Theresa Duong

Theresa Duong. Photo: Christina Gapic.Duong's works challenges ideas of wearable art using unconventional materials to stimulate a visual dialogue with the human figure. In her body of work Bound, she recreates, repurposes and repositions the form of the book to emphasize the concept of binding.

Q. Where did the inspiration for your work come from?

I am often drawn to metaphors for their intriguing explanation of an abstract concept that isn't applicable in a literal way. I chose to use books as a platform to illustrate a narrative because books have inspired me from a young age, resulting in countless library visits. Inspired by their form, the way they contain and relay information, and their construction, I wanted to combine this with my love for wearable art and its position in contemporary craft.

Q. What part of your project are you most proud of and why?

I am most proud of the process of my project: how everything developed and unfolded. It reminded me of how creativity can be planned and measured out to a certain extent, but you just have to have faith in the rest.



Stones of Florence [Hold Together] by Theresa Duong. This shoulder adornment is constructed with book signatures pieced together from images of architecture and mathematically structured sculptures to recreate an exaggerated curved-spine book.Q. What was your reaction after you found out that you were the Medal Winner for your program?

I thought I had fallen into a trance because I had pulled an all-nighter the day before. Then I did a little dance inside and was overwhelmed with excitement and filled with gratitude to my friends, family and faculty who were a source of encouragement to me throughout the year.

Q. In looking back at your time at OCAD U, what is your fondest memory of the program you were in and what will you miss the most?

My fondest memory in the jewellery studio is gathering around watching my instructors demonstrating fascinating techniques, such as a cooking show in microscopic scale, and then spending long (but enjoyable) days trying it myself. I will always remember the first time I saw solder flow - it was like magic and still is! I will miss the close-knit Material Art & Design community, spending ample amounts of time in the same studio together and the way we built each other up in skill and creative development, sharing in one another's tears and laughter.



Chained finger ring by Theresa Duong.

Q. What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to continue pursuing my passion for craft and developing my jewellery career. I will start with participating in a couple of summer craft/art shows, including the Artscape Barns Art Market, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, the Harmony Arts Festival and the Queen West Art Crawl.