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When I was a child growing up in Vietnam, like many households back then, my family used to gather around for dinner on a woven reed mat. Sometimes the dinner would go on for so long that the reeds left imprints on my skin, a memento of sorts for the time shared together. 

Reed mat weaving is a Vietnamese traditional handicraft, but has now become a vanishing practice due to industrialization and a shifting lifestyle. Located in central Vietnam, Cam Ne village was renowned for their colorful and meticulous hand-woven reed mats that were once favored by kings of the Nguyen Dynasty. The mat took one day to weave, reed by reed, and had to be performed by two people using a simple wooden loom. The rustling sound of reeds and the creaking rhythm of the wooden loom were the heartbeat of the village. Now, there is only one household left in the village holding onto the craft. 

This piece is a manifestation of nostalgia, the passing of traditions, and a desire to grasp onto a craft that situates my memory of home.