Tuan Andrew Nguyen Wing Balance, 2023
Brass (sourced from artillery shells), Makha wood
186 x 180 x 60 cm
Forged from brass artillery shells and Makha wood, Wing Balance is a kinetic sculpture that addresses the enduring presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by the U.S. war in Vietnam. From a turned wooden base, a slender brass arm arcs upward, suspending a delicate mobile whose polished pendants shift with the surrounding air and catch the light. The artillery shell, found in a scrap yard in Quảng Trị province, was transformed through the time-honored processes of pounding, casting, and polishing.