- Date
- 21 OCTOBER 2024
- Author
- DANIEL FACE
- Image by
- LY LEOVÁ
- Categories
- Interviews
Ly Leová on Merging Vietnamese Folklore with Digital Innovation
In this feature, we explore the creative world of Ly Leová, the visionary artist behind the WeAR experience at CULT’s recent event, whose work beautifully merges Vietnamese folklore with cutting-edge technology. As a second-generation Vietnamese immigrant raised in the Czech Republic and now based in London, Ly draws on her heritage to explore themes of identity, culture, and the reconciliation of Eastern and Western influences. From 3D illustrations and motion capture to XR (extended reality) experiences, she uses her art to bring traditional stories to life while pushing the boundaries of modern storytelling. Through her work, Ly invites audiences on an immersive journey where the ancient and the modern coexist in harmony.
Check out the full interview below to learn more about her unique creative process, inspirations, and how she blends culture and technology in her art.
How has your Czech and Vietnamese heritage influenced your artistic style, and in what ways do you integrate elements of both cultures into your work?
My Vietnamese heritage definitely influences my artistic style a lot more as I am actively taking inspiration from Vietnamese visual aesthetics such as folklore illustrations, patterns, fashion and landscape. Being a second-generation immigrant, I only saw Vietnamese things at home, but it was always kind of “exotic” and intriguing because it was so different from my daily life in the Czech Republic, but equally very familiar. I started to use my art as a way to reconcile with my Vietnamese roots and enjoyed learning more about my own culture and educating my audience about it. My Czech heritage used to be more prevalent in my work and probably still seeps in sometimes unconsciously, but as I have now lived in London for over 5 years, I don’t get as visually inspired by Czech landscapes and culture anymore.
Your work blends 3D, 2D, motion capture, and XR technology. Can you describe your creative process when merging these mediums, and what drives you to experiment with such diverse technologies?
I pursued my career in illustration because of my love for graphic novels and anime, so traditional 2D illustration will always be a core of my practice. When I was in my comic artist era, I found drawing the same object, character and space from different perspectives really challenging so I started to learn 3D as a tool to help my 2D illustration by using it for drawing references.
As I experimented more with 3D and used it for worldbuilding, it slowly became an integral part of my work and style, but I didn’t want to give up traditional illustration, so I was always looking for ways to mix the two and capture my 2D visual language by experimenting with toon shaders and hand drawn textures.
I’ve always wanted to get into animation as well, but found frame by frame animation really tedious. 3D opened that door for me, but I struggled when it came to character animation and that’s when I looked for ways to use my own body - motion capture - to create my own animations. So as you can see there is a trend here of me being “lazy” and trying to find a work-around process to make my creative process easier.
Lastly, inspired by video games and wanting to push the boundaries of sequential storytelling and traditional illustration, I started experimenting with XR such as VR and AR to create more immersive and interactive storytelling experiences. At the core, it has always been about bringing my illustrations to life.
Can you tell us more about the specific works you’ve shared with us? How do they reflect your personal experiences and the themes of identity, heritage, and culture that are central to your practice? What inspired the visual elements and characters in these works? Are there any specific Vietnamese folklore or cultural references woven into these pieces that you'd like to highlight?
The artworks I’ve shared are deeply rooted in my experience as a second-generation Vietnamese immigrant, reflecting my ongoing journey to find harmony between Eastern and Western identities. They express my desire to reconnect with my roots while also educating others about Vietnamese culture and folklore.
For instance, I reimagined the infamous "Wheel of Fortune" tarot card with a Vietnamese twist depicting symbolisms from Vietnamese folklore. The angel is replaced by Ông Địa (Earth Lord), the patron of luck, and the animals on the card are substituted with the Four Holy Beasts: Long, Lân, Quy, and Phụng (Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, and Phoenix), which are powerful symbols of luck in Vietnamese culture. The dog is replaced by the tiger, a symbol of protection and instinct, while the sphinx is reinterpreted as the iconic Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat), a symbol found across many Asian cultures. Blending Western concepts with a Vietnamese perspective, helps me to bridge the gap between the two worlds.
The dragon, a recurring motif in my work, is also inspired by personal symbolism. As a Dragon in the Vietnamese zodiac, I have a deep connection with this creature, and with 2024 being the Year of the Dragon, I’ve created many pieces to celebrate “myself” and manifest positivity this year.
Another key piece is “Woven Narratives”, a collaboration with Katya Pavlenko, Cult and WeAR, which serves as an immersive digital tribute to the multicultural landscape of London. Influenced by the rich tapestry of the city’s international creative scene and personally reflecting on “What is London to me?”, I sculpted abstract cloth structures with hand-drawn textures, drawing inspiration from Vietnamese, Czech, Ukrainian, and British textiles and patterns. The AR activation shows these colourful shapes coming into space - London - from all kinds of directions until woven together into a humanoid character making London alive and symbolising the city’s dynamic blend of cultures. Inside the gallery, I created a bespoke animation showing this humanoid walking into the space before dissolving back into its individual pieces, creating a 360-degree immersive experience that links the outdoor activation at Shoreditch Arts Club with the event inside.
Through these works, I aim to visually capture the blending of cultural influences and the ongoing exploration of my own identity.
You’ve worked with clients such as Redbull, Rick's Retro, and FCB London. How do you approach creating illustrations for commercial projects compared to your personal work?
They are more about the client and the client’s audience so I don’t get to explore my style and cultural heritage as much. I have a more design approach to commercial work. It is about the best way of solving their brief while adding a bit of my personal sauce, but I am not too precious about my work when dealing with commercial projects in general.
Your art reflects a journey to reconcile Eastern and Western identities. How has your experience as a second-generation Vietnamese immigrant shaped the themes of your highlighted works?
Growing up as a second-generation Vietnamese immigrant in a predominantly white country of the Czech Republic meant I was always troubled and confused with my identity and nationality. I was never Czech enough, but also not Vietnamese enough. This search for belonging and my journey towards embracing both cultures have become central themes in my work.
One of my pieces, Hai Hoa—which translates to "Two Flowers" or "Harmony" in Vietnamese depending on interpretation—explores this journey and reflection of my multicultural identity, personal transformation through time and trying to find the harmony between these diverse cultures.
Another ongoing project, Việt Kiều (a term referring to Vietnamese people living abroad), is a 3D character collection that explores characters like myself—those shaped by both Eastern and Western cultures. I’m also interested in reimagining Western concepts with a Vietnamese twist, such as my reinterpretation of Tarot cards. You suddenly see how connected we all are, that we all share the same core just portrayed with different imageries and metaphors.
My Western mindset, shaped by being raised in the Czech Republic and attending an English high school, has influenced my appreciation for individualism and the portrayal of the Self. Yet, I’ve always resonated with Eastern spirituality—Buddhism, deities, the supernatural, and the collective soul of the universe. A perfect example of this blend can be seen in my work on dreams, heavily influenced by Carl Gustav Jung’s concept of Individuation and the collective unconscious. Jung’s integration of Eastern philosophies, particularly Buddhism, into Western psychotherapy has been a strong inspiration. This balance between the Western concept of the Self and the Eastern idea of spiritual enlightenment is especially present in my work “The Forgotten Universe”
This journey of merging both worlds, both within myself and my art, remains a continuous exploration.
In what ways do you use your art to educate audiences about Vietnamese culture and folklore, and what specific stories or traditions have had the most impact on your work?
I like to find ways to subtly educate my audience without being overbearing and cliche while making it entertaining and interactive through the use of gamification and XR.
One example is a Journey to the West board game I created, reinterpreting the classic Game of the Goose as a way to educate children and make Asian folklore, such as Journey to the West, my favourite TV show as a kid, more accessible to second generation immigrant children.
I also like to highlight traditions and folklore that are shared between Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, like the Lunar New Year and the zodiac. These are often seen as purely Chinese traditions, but I want to show that they are an important part of Vietnamese culture too. For instance, while many know the zodiac Year of the Rabbit, in Vietnamese culture, we celebrate the Year of the Cat. Through my work, I aim to demonstrate these unique perspectives and ensure Vietnamese culture isn’t overlooked.
Nominated for the 2023 'Future 50: Founders and Freelancer Awards,' what advice would you give to emerging artists looking to push the boundaries of illustration and sequential storytelling through technology?
Don’t be scared of technology. I often find artists, especially illustrators, being very quick to push technology away and they get overwhelmed at the thought of learning new software.
And it is definitely challenging; navigating new technology can be very boring for creatives so I would say find ways to make it enjoyable by incorporating what you love into the process. For example I started treating 3D models as a canvas to my illustrations and hand drew my textures for my 3D models. Treat it as a tool to expand your illustrations instead of something to replace it and finally just experiment and play!
