Xuan My Ho [p.2]

NHA: What are some lessons you’ve learned?

XMH: I’ve become increasingly assertive when introducing my pieces to people who are interested in my work, including potential buyers at art shows.

NHA: Why do you think your work appeals to mosaic art lovers? What is fresh and different about your work?

XMH: It’s the artistic theme and uniqueness of each piece. Also, the way I execute each design differentiates me from other mosaic artists. Most mosaic works are created using smalti and vitreous glass; few use ceramics. I use ceramics as my main material and I carry the basic concept further by adding more organic materials such as marbles, precious stones, glass beads, mirrors, tempered glass, sea shells, and stone chips, which enhance the texture of my work.

NHA: What is the theme that recurs most often in your work?

XMH: Very often I use curves and non-linear shapes. The roughness and durability of mosaic materials such as tiles, glasses, stones, pebbles, and curvatures enhance the contrast and bring a softness to the design as a whole. I achieve a similar effect to painting, using a medium that is quite different than a brush. In my most recent pieces, women figures with flexible and dynamic movements of the composition recur the most.

NHA: Why is this theme important to you?

XMH: The flow of a woman’s hair, either blowing in the wind or naturally flowing against her figure always inspires me as it forms the flexibility and curvature. When I was a teenager I loved to draw, and the faces of young girls always appeared in my sketches. The curves also reflect the beauty of nature such as earth, sky, mountains, waterscape...and of the world around me which has significant influence on my design ideas.

NHA: Can you talk about the different types of mosaics that you do?

XMH: I love the design challenge of using a wide variety of shapes. I work with two- and three-dimensional objects: functional objects such as birdbaths, water fountains, outdoor tables, animals, flower stands, and decorative art pieces like wall hangings, mirrors, and sculptures.

NHA: How do you manage your busy schedule? What is your typical workday like?

XMH: When you have a passion to achieve something you make the time for that passion. Instead of watching television at night I work on my mosaics. Now that my two boys are in college, I can devote most of my spare time to coming up with new designs and working in my studio. Also, my husband helps me cut the ceramic pieces.

NHA: It sounds like your husband is very supportive of what you do.

XMH: My husband is very helpful and fully supports my passion. He helps me cut the majority of my ceramic pieces (dishes, bowls, and cups). For the first year, when I started working on mosaics, he gave me his input on colors and design concepts and bought me books and magazines to read, especially those related to architectural concepts. My oldest son designed my original website and my younger son maintained it, so everyone in the family pitched in. Recently, my niece totally redesigned my website. Now that both my sons are in college I maintain the site myself.

NHA: Your artwork has received a number of different awards. Can you tell us about some of them?

XMH: Most recently, I received an Honorable Mention Award for my “Lion Head” water fountain from the 2nd Biennial International Juried Exhibition held in San Francisco in August 2005. This piece is also featured in the Book of American Art Collector, Western Region by Tom Palmer (2005). Two of my other pieces are featured in Mosaic Art and Styles (2005) by JoAnn Locklov and Creative Garden Mosaic by Jill MacKay (2003). My “Pieces of Life” is included in the Society of American Mosaic Artists Exhibition, which is currently traveling around the country.

NHA: Which piece are you most proud of?

XMH: For each category, I have at least one piece that I’m proud of. “The Lovers II” (sculpture), “Rays of Hope” (wall hanging), “Flowers in the Vase” (birdbath), “Flower Girl” (tabletop), “The Rooster” (a garden piece), and the “Vortex I” (a coffee tabletop in my living room). I’m also extremely proud to have a patron who has nine of my pieces in her collection.

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