Meet miniature artists from Hanoi, Nachi and Muoi of Lucid Dream.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

We are Nachi and Muoi, a couple of art enthusiasts from Hanoi. We are the founders of the Lucid Dream. We are college seniors and we’ll finally graduate from college next year.

 

Before working on miniatures, Nachi used to dream of being a mangaka while Muoi wanted to do freelance design work. We guessed that it was fate that our paths crossed in the middle of this beautiful city.

 

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. In the beginning, living here can feel a bit suffocating, but soon you can feel your surroundings exude vibrant diversity that makes this city very different. Every corner of the city is full of street vendors, convenience stores, and markets. The traffic is so crowded so we usually use motorbikes. Tourists are always surprised and they always want to take pictures of this. One upside of riding bikes is that they are really convenient. Whatever you may need – food, drink, delivery –  you can simply hop on your motorbike or order on Grab and GoViet, the two most popular ride-hailing applications among Vietnamese people.

 

Before working on miniatures, Nachi used to dream of being a mangaka while Muoi wanted to do freelance design work. We guessed that it was fate that our paths crossed in the middle of this beautiful city.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

Hanoi is so crowded with people coming from different parts of Vietnam, which can make us feel so uneasy, especially because of the noise and the traffic jam throughout the day. Sometimes we just want to just escape for somewhere else.

 

But when we stop for a second then listen, we can appreciate the hidden beauties, like the yellow leaves falling down, the sun shining through the trees on the ancient Hoang Thanh street, or the road beside lakes, or even the people.

 

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Hard work, being different, and teamwork.

 

How did you start your career in art?

One of the reasons for initiating Lucid Dream is that during my high school years, I (Nachi) did dream of someday making an original handmade brand. I tested with many materials, like fabric, wood, metal, and art to express the ideas for my worlds. Then, I met Muoi and we had our own miniature house project for an event in college. Since then, we slowly built the brand, starting with the name, the logo to the content and future plans. After almost two years of preparation, in Nov. 2018 we created our first fanpage.

 

Lucid Dream is the mother brand of two separate branches: Miniatures & Arts and Wooden Crafts. We originally intended to keep two pages in one place hoping it would help maintaining the audience. But we soon realized they actually keep each other down by being in the same place. So we split them up. Following two pages with the same logo can be a bit troublesome for users.  But the results turned out to be quite positive.

 

One of the reasons for initiating Lucid Dream is that during my high school years, I (Nachi) did dream of someday making an original handmade brand. I tested with many materials, like fabric, wood, metal, and art to express the ideas for my worlds. Then, I met Muoi and we had our own miniature house project for an event in college.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

I am very glad to have my family’s full support. I even had tremendous help on the sanding work from my dad. As for my friends, they have been practically crying for me to open a store for about 4 years before we formed the brand.

 

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Continuing our work with enthusiasm and expanding our product lines as well as the brand.

Opening a cozy little studio as the home for our worlds.

Possibly hosting workshops to share our passion and our knowledge about handmade stuff to others.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

Anouk Pantovola from Pantovola art and Juden Hill from Spritit Cloth. They are amazing artist and inspire us a lot. But it’s just my dream so far haha

 

How would you describe the women around you?

We think every woman around us is a “Wonderwoman”.

They are our mothers – beautiful, strong women who inspire us the most.

They are our amazing girlfriends and sisters – talented, brave, hard-working individuals who always keep goals in their minds to strive for more in life.

They empower us with their helpful advice and life lessons. So great these women are that somehow we feel like we need to compete with them in a positive way so we can improve ourselves.

Deep down, I do admire them and feel blessed for being surrounded by these women.

 

We think every woman around us is a “Wonderwoman”.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

We think every creative is a unique entity. Everyone has their own distinct features for us to admire and learn from. Therefore, it is very hard to pick out a specific name.

 

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

I think one of the challenging aspects of being a female is Vietnam is the popular perception towards women that remains traditional and conservative. Women are expected to take charge of doing most of the housework, giving birth, and ultimately, unlike men, women face great obstacles to be free and truly live with and pursue their passion.

However, change is happening thanks to more progressive, modern thoughts taking shape in our society. And we believe it is a good sign as women of the new era will happily live the lives of their own choosing.

 

Do not fear new challenges and do not fear failures.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Do not fear new challenges and do not fear failures. If you happen to find some company on this incredible journey of a creative, keep them beside and hold on tight to them.

 

 

Photos courtesy of Lucid Dream.