At aAh! we aim to shine a spotlight on our talented student community. To celebrate the launch of The LEGACY Issue, we caught up with this issue’s shortlisted featured artists.
Tommy Vinh Bui peddles literacy and procrastination as a librarian and PhD student at Manchester Met respectively. He was a 2015-16 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and a 2018-19 Arts for LA Cultural Policy Fellow for the city of Inglewood.
Bui’s poetry and artwork has been featured in Department of Cultural Affairs publications and he was a 2020 Pushcart Prize nominee. Many moons ago he was a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Central Asia. Today he runs marathons for leisure and for running away from his problems.
When did you begin creating artwork?
As early as I could remember. Doodling in the margins of my homework was a cherished pastime and got me through many a yawnful math class. Errant art spontaneously sprouting on my schoolwork probably accounted for more D’s than necessary throughout my academic career. But worth the summer school, I say.
What is your favourite artistic medium?
My favourite medium is whatever I can get my grubby mitts on. I particularly enjoy experimenting with different textures and found material. I’ll draw on donut boxes, parking tickets, the hull of an orange, anything, really. The more ephemeral, the better. As for an instrument, I’m fairly low maintenance – just your regular ol’ garden variety ballpoint pen’ll do. Or whatever’s handy. Literally. I drew a mural on the side of a mud-splattered truck once using my finger. It came out fairly legible and wonderfully fleeting, all said.
What do you draw inspiration from?
I go out of my way for a regularly scheduled dose of inspiration. I’m a big mosey-er of museums and the majestic outdoors are frequently meandered with my peepers peeled. I’ll also take the time to squint at the inane in an attempt to decipher the hidden aesthetic value potentially dormant within. So if you ever catch me just sitting there staring at my salad, that’s why: Art.
Featured image and gallery: Kaitlyn Brockley The rumble of trains passing through Piccadilly station, the hollers of touts (“tickets, buy or sell?”) and security (“have your IDs ready”), and the excitable chatter of gig-goers all audibly backdrop the outskirts of Manchester’s Mayfield Depot this dark, damp evening. Leaving the outside chill and travelling along the…
Featured image and gallery: Leo Woollison Crook Angela Cheveau and Kate Carne were crowned winners of the 2024 QuietManDave Prize on Friday. The short-form writing prize is held bi-annually to honour the memory of the much-loved and well-known Manchester writer and critic Dave Murray, who passed away in 2019. The writers were each awarded £1000…
In each print issue, aAh! Magazine explores one word which runs as its theme. We are excited to announce that the theme for our upcoming print issue is COMMUNITY. aAh! Magazine invites all Manchester Met students interested in journalism, writing, design, illustration and photography to pitch ideas to be considered for print publication for the…
Featured image: FemWear A revolutionary clothing brand is changing the narrative for women living with gynaecological and gut health conditions. FemWear, founded by 27-year-old designer Roya Rasouli, offers not just fashion but a sense of comfort, empowerment and community for women navigating health challenges. For a decade, Roya unknowingly battled the pain of endometriosis, a condition…
Leave a reply