Thu Goodman: Recent Work
08 Jan 2020 – Ongoing (end date to be determined because of the pandemic)
Sawhorse Café
Williamsport, PA
From the organizer:
This exhibition features almost forty works covering a span of about three years. The work utilizes a quilling process that has its origins in Victorian Europe. I reinvented the process into a more contemporary method but the core, cut paper turned in its edge and manipulated to make imagery and forms. Perhaps it’s the easiest to imagine it as a type of paper mosaic. Presentation is important to me so I make framing solutions that allow the work to “float” off the surface and under the plexiglass.
The content of my work ranges from landscapes to subject matter that often connects to my personal history. For example, Ha Long Bay is represented in one piece as well as the Susquehanna River, a waterway that runs directly through Williamsport, PA. I also engage the figure as an important form, most notably with my master copy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi”. The size of this work is 18”x24” and took almost one year to complete. I am also interested in beauty, thus often making natural forms that connect to the natural world.
About Thu Goodman
Born in Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam, I attended Ho Chi Minh City University of Education with English Teacher Education. After two years of teaching in my hometown, I eventually fell in love and got married with an American, who also happens to be an artist and professor. His name is Seth Goodman. I wanted my first gift to him to be very special so I decided to give him a handmade piece of art. After searching online, I discovered the art of paper quilling and decided to use this technique for Seth’s gift. When Seth received it, I could see the happiness in his eyes, which inspired me to continue to master this art form. I eventually moved to Pennsylvania, USA, and have lived there for more than three years since 2017. Currently, I have a job at a high school and have made friends with people here. When spending time in Seth’s studio, I got excited to learn more. He showed me about color theory and shared a lot of books about famous artists with me so that I could apply some new techniques to my personal work. As a result, I really fell in love with Leonard De Vinci’s work. After eight months, I finished my first master copy, a quilling piece based on the “Salvator Mundi”. As you can see from the images, I am deeply excited to say that I have my first art exhibition and it has been extremely well-received by the viewing public.
