In this visual journey and pondering, we explore how Ikebana is more than arrangement: it is a way of finding our place within the Cosmic Order.
In a world teeming with noise yet sparse on connection, where do we actually belong? Continuing our series “Love for Flower,” DNNLY invites you to look for the answer. Through the art of Ikebana, practiced by a Vietnamese florist, we explore the act of aligning oneself with the cosmic order, a reminder that we are but a fraction of nature’s vast ecology.
For Vietnamese florist @anhphily, the path to these roots begins with language. the Vietnamese language is a source of profound pride—rich in beauty, nuance, and depth. It is this very richness that drives her to explore every possible way to perceive the language, even through the silence of petals. Thus, @taphoangontu was born: a sanctuary to purvey words, flowers, and stories.
In this visual series, floral works by @taphoangontu are staged alongside Ao Dai designs by @ducstudio_official. This serves as our interdisciplinary experiment, weaving a dialogue between the silhouette of the Áo dài and the artist’s floral creations.
She channels her grandmother, once the owner of a small bookshop on Hanoi’s Hàng Da Street. Anh’s current inventory is lighter: words, (handpicked) florals, stories, and mere contemplation.
This is a declaration of love for Vietnamese: “A true source of pride,” a language so rich, so profound, so delightfully ambiguous. Its sheer breadth compels her to explore its sensory dimensions, a pursuit she channels entirely through florals.
She founded “Playing with Words, Playing with Flowers,” a project dissecting Vietnamese beauty through the art of arrangement. The goal is to cultivate a passion for Vietnamese contemporary art, culture and research, not simply to chase aesthetics.
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Ikebana: Ikebana is not just flower arranging, but the very act of situating oneself within the universal Cosmos, means to reckon one is merely a fraction of nature. Each creation, thus, becomes a session of self-confrontation. | |
| I–Thou: Creator meets beholder at the locus of the work. That point of friction sparks shared sensibility |  |
The genuine difficulty lies in deriving images from vocabulary that offers no concrete visual reference.
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Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, I was nonetheless shaped from childhood by the distinct cadence, vocabulary, and lifestyle of Hanoi.
<h2> Aligning with the Cosmic Order </h2>
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| “SUM” – sum suê (lush)
The Ecological Root The arrangement technique broadcasting the flora’s sheer abundance. It is a reminder that to bloom is to participate in the planet’s thriving ecosystem. |
“SUM” – sum họp (reunion)
The Human Root Love expressed as pure presence, the unwavering commitment to simply be together, to physically inhabit the same space in the cosmic order. |
“SUM” – resonance (cộng hưởng)
The Spiritual Root The “I–Thou” moment where Creator meets Beholder. Every shared silence is acknowledged, proving that we do not exist in isolation, but in resonance. |
Some quotes the artist @anhphily feels deeply attached to:
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I can feel it every day, the limit of my ability – Hayao Miyazaki |
Embrace the days ahead. Though the weight of human existence is heavy. Our life simply persists in joy. — Trịnh Công Sơn |
“Don’t Be Afraid to Say Love” is Vietnam’s first interdisciplinary creative journey, opening a space where fashion, architecture, art, science, and sociology converge. Season 1 (2025) uses the áo dài as a lens through which Vietnam sends a message of love to the world.
Accompanying the signature image of the áo dài is the participation of Vietnamese creators across multiple fields, including travel, landscape, design, sociology, science, engineering, and art, alongside leading individuals and organizations from across the country. Together, they share their creative perspectives, projecting the spirit of Yêu with the world through their works and endeavors.
Interview: @anhphily
Áo dài: @ducstudio_official
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Graphic:
Thiện Tài @thientai_
Vân Vân @dreamy.illus
Việt Thắng @vthanjj
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Art Concepts (dandu)
Photographs @chironduong
Supporter Hai Man @carl.thewatermelon
