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creating patches of dark or light, or alternating stripes, the end result is nearly a reverberation of sensation. "People wonder why I would rip and cut perfectly dyed cloth. It is this second layer that is so important to my work," Nguyen explains. "It's part of what differentiates my shibori. Deconstructing the cloth allows me to push further. It allows for beautiful dimension and an interplay between two-dimensionality and three-dimensionality." For her layered pieces, Nguyen sheds further light on their creation. "I first hand-dye itajime shibori on silk chiffon. The surface is then deconstructed by hand-cutting thin strips. I layer and piece these lines, deliberately designing the surface. I am creating a textured fabric from a single piece of flat silk chiffon. This cloth then is cut, edged, finished, and stitched to complete a garment." Shibori has no direct translation in English, but is essentially a form of shaped-resist dyeing that has incredible depth due to many techniques. This means that the cloth is tied, crumpled or manipulated in any manner of ways, and then dyed and unfurled. The dye most heavily saturates the unshaped areas, while those parts of the cloth which were shaped are blocked from receiving the dye, forming patterns according to these reserved areas. There are many different shibori techniques, and itajime shibori is done by taking two pieces of wood and sandwiching folded and bundled cloth in between, which is then tightly bound with either cords or a vise, and dyed. The parts of the fabric not protected by the boards receive the dye; afterwards, the cloth bears patterns depending on how it was folded. In Nguyen's work, this often forms square-like or circular patterns, although it is by no means limited to that. Graphic patterning and clean lines are the telltale. In contrast, arashi shibori produces stripes and wavy lines, testimony to the pole-wrapping technique where the cloth is wrapped diagonally on a pole, then scrunched to become a series of pleats. The pole is then submerged in the dye, and the areas between the pleats are reserved, forming the distinctive patterning. The stitched method is her signature work. Itajime shibori is again used, either on silk chiffon, or paper-like silk organza. Piecing, folding and stitching are used to create the complete piece. "The stitching is such an important element as it adds weight to create the drape of the cloth I'm seeking. I have the control to create the size and shape of the piece I want to end up with." This can be seen with the dimensional scarves Nguyen has made since before this current iteration of work. The stitch puckers the cloth, allowing it to drape while maintaining crimps that often reiterate the pattern of the dye. This process allows the scarf to possess a form of its own, standing daringly away from the wearer's body. The recursive theme illuminated in Nguyen is absorption and submersion. Her artistic process is tied into her Buddhist practice. The physical exertion of her dyeing is merely an outgrowth of her concern for her health and body. Synergy, mutual application, what Nguyen does is balance the artistic with the spiritual and the physical. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and provides stability in various walks of SHEER FIT CIRCLE COAT of paper-like silk organza; hand-dyed two-patterned shibori, formed, pieced, stitched, 2011.