EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT - MEET HOANG NGUYEN : Atlantic County Library System

Meet Hoang Nguyen

Hoang Nguyen, Clerk Driver and Artist/Crafter

"Art is all around us."

Hoang Nguyen is an artist and crafter. In the picture at right, he poses with a recent craft project, a lamp decorated with over 100 buttons.

Hoang Nguyen with button lamp

Hoang Nguyen works in the Delivery Section at the Mays Landing branch as a clerk driver. Clerk drivers log many miles on Atlantic County roads while distributing thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and library supplies between the library's 10 branches and area schools. Hoang also helps out in circulation by processing returned items.

What kinds of craft projects and art do you create?
"My favorite medium is woodworking. I like to work with chainmail, the art of bending and attaching metal. I made my own lathe for my woodworking and chainmail projects. I knit and crochet, too. I like using my hands to create things."

Co-worker Lisa posing in a Hoang-made scarf.

Your art is so intricate. Where do you find time?
"I have alot of projects going at once. Right now I am working on designing and creating a mailbox using recycled soda cans. Some chainmail work, such as belts and wine bottle holders, can be completed in a day or two. Other pieces, such as my fleur-de-lis wall-hanging, are onging and take a long time."

	Chainmail art is very specialized. Tell us more. "Chainmail has been around for millenia. Knights wore it under armor for protection.
The larger and more detailed, such as using different colors of metal to achieve a design, can take years. I've been working on the fleur-de-lis wallhanging for over two years and I think I have another two or three years to go."

Roll your mouse over the image below to see a detail of Hoang's fleur-de-lis wall-hanging.

What inspires your creations? Where do you get ideas?
Hoang tells us he finds inspiration everywhere. "Ideas for art come to me in the solitude in driving and everywhere in life. I get ideas from family, friends and co-workers. I find art and ideas on youtube.com and the Internet, people watching, nature, driving, reading, thinking - I see art in everything. Things I see and hear at the library give me ideas. Art and craft ideas just come to me -- even in dreams."

Hoang Nguyen recently created oversized
scrapbook covers, shown above.

Hoang is an avid pool player, and plans to begin fencing lessons soon. He is looking forward to taking a Fundamental Drawing art class at Atlantic Cape Community College this Fall. Thank you Hoang!