Standing majestically, The Magic and Mayhem is a sculpture of two halves. Nguyen has grafted together the head and body of a dragon, hand-carved in wood by traditional Vietnamese carvers,...
Standing majestically, The Magic and Mayhem is a sculpture of two halves. Nguyen has grafted together the head and body of a dragon, hand-carved in wood by traditional Vietnamese carvers, and the horn of a black rhino taken from actual 3D scans and cast in ceramic.
This mystical being visually represents the two sides of the ideology and consumption debate, whilst the use of both traditional and modern production techniques within one artwork are a reminder of how past and present ideologies can inform those of the future.
There are beliefs in Vietnam originating from centuries of ideas in traditional Chinese medicine that consuming rhino horn can cure cancer as well as other illnesses. This has created a global environmental emergency regarding the rhinoceros population across the world, having the most impact specifically in South Africa. Tons of illegal rhino horns from South Africa have been seized en route to Vietnam and China in recent years. As well. Rhinos have recently become extinct in Vietnam.
This mystical being visually represents the two sides of the ideology and consumption debate, whilst the use of both traditional and modern production techniques within one artwork are a reminder of how past and present ideologies can inform those of the future.