Meet Yien Truong | Concrete Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yien Truong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

When I started working with concrete, I kept it in its original state without any colour added. Don’t get me wrong, concrete is a colour! It may not be in your swatch but it’s beautiful. I wanted to create something that is unique to me. Something that I would not get bored with and be excited about every day. Over 7 to 8 months, every day I would experiment with concrete properties such as viscosity, colours, and textures. I felt that getting the properties and the strength was most important to get right. Once I got this, I started adding colours and then creating designs that are unique to my work.
I often am asked, how did I come up with this colour combination or how did I create that effect and my answer is always: Don’t follow any rules and just make it! Practice, practice, practice and you will get there.

There are studies that show that colour can influence your emotions and this really interested me. Most humans can see over a million different colours. The colours that I make and work with are free form and I make it by playing with the pigment combinations. I love this way of working. It makes each one of my pieces “one-of-kind”.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Creating beautiful pieces of art that I am proud of is fun and rewarding and another passion I have is food. If a friend of mine were to visit me, there would be an itinerary of where and what to eat. Much like my work with each piece being different, so are the unique cuisines that we are so fortunate to have here and within the different cuisines, each restaurant is different. We must try them all!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not have done this without the support of my local plant community. Who are they you ask? Well, I started making concrete during the pandemic. There were not a lot of outlets where I could showcase my work.
I started on Instagram with zero followers and slowly pecked away to try and share my story. Luckily, the plant community that includes lots of plant enthusiasts and most importantly my local plant nursery, Crystal Star Nursery gave me a chance and invited me to their super limited and rare market on their property. This appearance gave me a chance to showcase my work in person.
Even though a lot of people buy my work online, I get great joy and satisfaction when I can personally describe and show my pieces in person.

Website: www.sunsetcement.com

Instagram: @sunsetcement

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sunsetcement