Photography and mixed media are easy to find in this vastly overstimulated world. What’s not as easy to find is images and artistry that convey a deep-rooted connection and complete empathy for social issues.
Enter: Global Citizen Emerging Creative, Alex Nguyễn, a Vietnamese photographer, writer, and cultural practitioner who lets her devotion to uncovering hidden stories guide her lens and curate her words.
Through her work individually and with the Thi Collective — an initiative she founded with her partner — Nguyễn aims to conjure a sense of humanity and relatable connection in her pieces. The purpose of every creation is to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, particularly ethnic minorities and young women, using a mix of journalism, photography, video, and audio to uncover untold stories.
"Art is an instrument to evoke human sentiments about life," Nguyễn said, describing it as a powerful tool to address environmental and social challenges, especially in Vietnam’s constrained civic space.
The Emerging Creatives Program spotlights one person a month, and calls on them to create or share a unique piece of work with the Global Citizen community that speaks on issues related to the impacts of poverty and the UN’s Global Goals. For the program, Nguyễn chose to showcase images from a couple of different portrait series of women from disadvantaged groups she encountered early in her career.
In these images, Nguyễn wanted to portray the women as both portraits and metaphors, while highlighting their professions and the challenges they face during periods of transition, such as climate change, economic instability, and gender inequality. Most of these women belong to ethnic minority groups across Vietnam, each of whom has to navigate and conquer unique obstacles with little support or understanding.
For instance, the young woman in Who is She? (photos 1-3) represents the resilience of farmers in Phuoc Binh, Ninh Thuan, who are dealing with climate-driven crop failures and economic strain, leading them to have to make tough choices like opting for urban migration to sustain work.
Who is She?
Pictured, a young woman from Phuoc Binh, Ninh Thuan, a coastal province in central Vietnam.
Who is She?
In the coastal province of Phuoc Binh, Ninh Thuan in central Vietnam, her primary source of income is cashew, banana, and grapefruit cultivation.
Who is She?
In recent years, confronted with the difficulty of climate change and a falling economy, she had to explore other options, such as moving to the city to work for textile companies as friends of her have done.
In Hue (photos 4, 5, and 12), women like Thu balance family commitments and unstable rural incomes, often choosing to stay near their homes despite opportunities in distant industrial parks.
Hue
Pictured, residents from Hue, a province in central Vietnam that has been exposed to climate change for years.
Hue
Thu has remained in her hometown, despite the unreliable income she faces as she relies solely on work in the forest or cultivating noodles at home.
Hue
Our of love for her small children, Thu chose to stay in Hue, working on a daily basis and relying on her husband's limited paycheck.
Meanwhile, the Hmong women in the Northern highlands (photos 6-9) address inequality and environmental challenges by fostering community initiatives that create sustainable livelihoods through traditional crafts.
Hmong
Pictured, a woman from the Hmong ethnic minority group in the Northern highland region of Vietnam.
Hmong
Farming, embroidery, and dyeing are traditional crafts and industries familiar to the Hmong ethnic minority group in Vietnam.
Hmong
While the community faces inequality and environmental challenges, some have organized community initiatives that create sustainable livelihoods through these traditional crafts.
Hmong
This helps them contribute to the reduction of economic pressure.
Lastly, photos 10 and 11 explore the multifaceted pressures of motherhood, capturing both the joy and the psychological toll of childbirth and life transitions.
Personal Project
These images from a personal project by artist Alex Nguyễn, exploring the multifaceted pressures of motherhood.
Personal Project
These images from a personal project by artist Alex Nguyễn, exploring the multifaceted pressures of motherhood.