Lam Na (b. 1987, Vinh, Vietnam) works at the intersection of found objects and contemporary ceramic practice. Her methodology centers on the integration of culturally significant items with terracotta, examining material transformation and temporal relationships through what she terms “soft-inelastic collisions.”

Following her studies at Hue University of Fine Arts (2011) and Master‘s in Visual Arts from Mahasarakham University, Thailand (2014), Lam Na initially worked in painting. A significant shift occurred in 2022 at Bat Trang pottery village, where her encounter with traditional clay processes led to her current practice. Here, she discovered earth as what she describes as ”a prehistoric hard drive,“ silently absorbing and continuously transforming matter across time.

Her work is characterized by the incorporation of diverse elements relevant to Vietnam’s cultural heritage, including objects relevant to the Phung Nguyen period (c. 2000-1500 BCE), metal items, and natural materials discovered in Nghe An caves. Through precise firing and mounting processes, these found objects maintain their integrity while participating in new material dialogues. Her systematic approach to surface treatment, whether through fingernail impressions or specific material placements, creates temporal maps that explore relationships between past and present.

Lam Na‘s breakthrough exhibition ”Have Been - Eternally“ (2023) at Hanoi Studio Gallery marked her first solo presentation, receiving significant public response that led to its extension. Her work has been shown internationally, including exhibitions at the ASEAN Contemporary Art Exhibition in Bangkok, ASEAN Art Festival in Hua Hin (2014), and Seoul Art Festival (2016).