Paper Guardians

Painted in acrylic on an aged jackfruit-wood tray, Paper Guardians reimagines the ritual paper effigies of a horse and elephant—votive offerings central to the Mother Goddess (Đạo Mẫu) worship. The artist preserves the worn texture, cracks, and tiny time-marked holes of the vintage tray, allowing tradition itself to speak through decay. Once a humble object for serving food in Vietnamese homes, the jackfruit tray becomes a sacred canvas—bridging domestic life and spiritual devotion. The vivid colors and stylized forms evoke the festive vibrancy of hầu đồng ceremonies, where material and spiritual realms intertwine in rhythm and light.