reflective steel skin clads sculpture emerged from fallen tree after typhoon in hanoi

Tia-Thuy Nguyen Transforms Fallen Tree into Sculpture

Artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen creates a large-scale sculptural tree installation in Hanoi that reimagines the remains of a storm-damaged tree. Following Typhoon Yagi’s impact on Hanoi on September 7, 2024, which damaged or uprooted more than 25,000 trees, a 70-year-old Nacre tree (Khaya senegalensis), originally imported from Africa during French colonial urban planning efforts, was selected for transformation by artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen. The tree, previously located in the inner city, became the basis for a site-specific sculptural work titled Resurrection.

Rather than discarding the remains of the fallen tree, the artist retained its original structure and clad it in a custom-fabricated metal skin. The work was constructed over 6,000 hours using 5mm-thick stainless steel plates, which were hand-hammered to conform to the natural curvature and surface texture of the tree. The resulting surface alternates between smooth forms and textured knots, visually referencing the original bark. The completed cladding forms both a structural shell and a reflective exterior surface.

all images courtesy of Tia-Thuy Nguyen

Reflective Steel clads sculptural tree installation

The metal surface responds to environmental light, producing dynamic visual effects as sunlight interacts with its form. The branches were reconstructed to approximate natural growth patterns, populated with thousands of stainless steel leaves and quartz elements shaped to resemble blossoms. Artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen opts for these materials to enhance the installation’s optical variability, especially in direct sunlight. Weighing over six tons, the sculpture was returned to the original site of the tree. The new configuration maintains the vertical presence of the original tree while altering its visual and material composition. The work is designed to engage passively with its environment, emphasizing light, seasonal conditions, and user interaction as core components of the installation’s effect.

Resurrection functions as both an urban landmark and a commentary on cycles of transformation. The project bridges material reuse and large-scale fabrication, linking natural history with contemporary methods of surface and form manipulation. Through this process, the work proposes a continued life for the original tree through material translation rather than organic regeneration.

a fallen Nacre tree becomes the core structure of a sculptural installation

the sculpture retains the tree’s vertical structure while altering its surface

the piece weighs over six tons and stands on the tree’s original site

the branches are reconstructed to echo the tree’s former growth

5mm-thick steel plates recreate the texture of bark through hammering techniques

stainless steel cladding is hand-formed to follow the tree’s original contours

stainless steel leaves are designed to mimic real foliage in form and scale

the sculpture engages passively with light and environmental conditions

quartz elements are embedded to resemble flowering blossoms

smooth and rough surfaces alternate across the metallic exterior

material reuse becomes central to the sculpture’s conceptual framework

Resurrection reflects on loss, resilience, and adaptation in urban space

the work suggests regeneration through transformation, not replication

the 70-year-old Nacre tree after Typhoon Yagi

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project info:

name: Resurrection
designer: Tia Thuy Nguyen | @tia.thuynguyen

location: Hanoi, Vietnam