VÂN

Portrait of Becoming. ✨ Thank you to our incredible co-creators @_jayfennell_ @___byvan @inklounge__ @vicdaggsii @djrocryte @uncool.photobooth @e3wines for reminding us through art, design, sound and experience that our identities are layered, always evolving and never singular. To everyone that came out — thank you for helping us transform @210seattle into a living portrait; one that reflected the multiplicity of who we are, and who we are still becoming. #gallerytogether #art #music #culture 📷 @n33dcreative

VÂN (they/them) is a Vietnamese American multidisciplinary textile artist whose work centers on sustainability, intentional design, and identity as a core part of their process. Through their practice, they find joy in working with their hands and using the sewing machine as a tool to recompose and transform forgotten textiles into wearable art. They primarily work with salvaged materials to create pieces that are both durable and carry lasting stories. Their practice moves between experimentation and transformation, honoring the material. In Portrait of Becoming, their work invites viewers to explore the role of identity and imagination, challenging how we can be better and fight for better systems. 📷: @chiemichonga Link in bio for details. 📍 @210seattle | 301 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 | Pioneer Square 🗓 Thursday, May 7 (First Thursday Art Walk) 🕔 5–9 PM Featuring: 🎨 Paint @_jayfennell_ ✂️ Textiles @___byvan 🖋 Tattoo @inklounge__ 🎧 Sounds @djrocryte 🎤 Live Performance @vicdaggsii 📸 Photo Booth @oskeezynus 🍷 Wine @e3wines

I’m not the best with words, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out for the opening of Nhớ Nhà: Missing Home with @voceramics at @common_area . I’m honestly so grateful to be able to make art and be in community with so many of you, especially during these times. Our show will be up until May 1st if you want to come by and see it. Wed–Fri: 3–6 PM Saturday: 9 AM–3 PM 📍2601 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Outfit today. Wearing pants I made! 🌸😎

Gallery Together presents: Portrait of Becoming. Portrait of Becoming moves through the many versions of who we are. Across visual art, wearable design, and sound, this exhibition explores identity as layered, shifting, and never singular. Each work offers a distinct perspective, shaped by different histories, mediums, and ways of seeing, yet existing together within a shared space. Faces blur. Forms evolve. Garments reimagined. Sound carries what words cannot. What emerges is not one narrative, but many, intersecting, contrasting, and unfolding in real time. The space becomes a living portrait, reflecting the multiplicity of who we are, and who we are still becoming. Not who we were. Not yet who we’ll be. Link in bio for details. 📍 @210seattle | 301 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 | Pioneer Square 🗓 Thursday, May 7 (First Thursday Art Walk) 🕔 5–9 PM Featuring: 🎨 Paint @_jayfennell_ ✂️ Textiles @__byvan 🖋 Tattoo @inklounge__ 🎧 Sounds @djrocryte 🎤 Live Performance @vicdaggsii 📸 Photo Booth @oskeezynus 🍷 Wine @e3wines

Some snaps from my sewing classes - from intro to sewing machines to crafting vests and upcycled aprons. It’s been amazing to connect with so many of you guys!!! 🧑🏻‍🏫✂️🧵🪡 Special thanks to @throwboy for lending me your sewing machines and Measles for assisting me with classes at @common_area

Finally happening! Excited to be teaming up with @voceramics for my residency show with @common_area during @belltownartwalk this month! Hope to see you! Nhớ Nhà is Vân Vũ’s and Nhi Vo’s exploration into their cultural identity as Viet people. Vũ experiments with fiber illustration and working with textile beyond making garments. Using mostly upcycled materials Vũ explores themes of anti imperialism and women in Vietnamese culture. Works include recreation of Vietnamese propaganda posters and photographs that they took in Vietnam. Vo tries to navigate and reclaim her heritage by making ceramic sculptures that honor Vietnamese cuisine and cultural practices. Here in the US, immigrants are often expected to assimilate and be digested into White American culture. But Vo’s work counters those expectations, and instead offers a celebration of Viet identity. April 10th 6-9pm 2601 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Life at my art residency with @common_area ✂️🪡 Been pouring my heart into this new work and can’t wait to share it. Get ready for my show opening on April 10th, more details to come soon.

SOLD OUT Hi everyone! I will be offering a beginner sewing class at @common_area 🪡🪡🪡 Excited to have the space to do this! If you are someone who is scared of using a sewing machine, this class is for you. Please share this with anyone interested!! Jan 28th Feb 25th March 25th More info at the link in my bio! Sweet graphic by @hirayama.amy 🌟

Sharing the first piece in my fashion show collection is this Crazy Quilt Olive Jacket. I’ve held onto this quilt for a couple of years, trying to figure out how to clean and process it. I knew it was old and delicate, covered in beautiful hand-stitched embellishment, and I was terrified of ruining it. Crazy quilts are made from irregular fabric scraps. They became popular in the 1880s during the Victorian era as a form of decorative art, often showcasing luxurious fabrics like silk, velvet, and later wool and cotton for warmth. They symbolized wealth and leisure, influenced by Japanese art and by the Industrial Revolution’s increasing availability of fabrics. The seams are often embellished with stitches that form pictures or symbolic motifs. If I’m dating this quilt correctly, it’s almost 100 years old(jk..idk), and fabrics from that time do not have the same treatments as modern textiles. After speaking with several quilters, I was advised to remove the original batting before soaking the quilt in Retro Clean and gently hand-agitating it. That ended up being the safest approach, and it worked… at least for one side. The quilt originally had two different faces, each with its own design and fabrics. There was significant color bleeding during cleaning; one side survived beautifully, while the other—made mostly of solid colors—bled and faded dramatically. Because of its age and intricate stitching, I decided to create a split design jacket using a durable, water-resistant olive tent fabric, placing it only on the front of the jacket to minimize contact and help preserve the quilt. I also repaired areas where the original stitching had come undone. I couldn’t perfectly color-match the threads, so when you look closely, you can see a soft gradient glow in the repaired sections. That might be my favorite detail—it’s subtle, but it shows both the past and present love poured into this piece. This jacket sold. I’d like to make one more of this jacket if anyone is interested.

Had the best time at @reclaimclaycollective yesterday! Met so many wonderful people and even saw some old college friends. I was able to finish up a batch of Duffle Bag Vest for this event and they sold out. Thank you everyone for your support and super kind words ‼️💐 What a beautiful space and community @reclaimclaycollective has created. Please check them out!

Join Shunpike for our next Artist Salon: Reimagining Textiles, a behind-the-scenes experience with 3 local artists working in the heart of downtown Seattle next Thursday, December 11th, at 6 PM at 1501 5th Ave. Meet the artists as we discuss their process and inspiration for their wearable art. Socialize in a relaxed setting over light refreshments. 🔗 Free RSVP in the bio. ✨ Artist Salon: Reimagining Textiles 📅 Thursday, Dec 11, 6-8 pm 📍 1501 5th Ave, Seattle 👇 Get an inside look with our local artists Stitched By The Starz (@angelxaudrey ), Delaney Cerna (@lalu.lifestyle ), and VÂN Vũ (@___byvan ) as they share their process, what drew them to textiles, and how they see the current fashion moment in Seattle. We will dig into the city’s creative fashion scene–its commitment to artistry, sustainability, and how it’s uplifting designers. #seattleart #artisttalk #artistsalon #shunpike