#MadeToday Profile: Jent Do - Artist

Meet Jent Do, a talented contemporary artist blending creativity and technology to craft stunning works of art. As one of The Edge’s newest attendees, Jent has been exploring the possibilities of digital fabrication during Open lab sessions. Fresh off a residency at Level Up on the Gold Coast, Jent has been using The Edge's laser cutter and 3D printing facilities, with the support of our dedicated staff, to bring a self-directed series of sculptures to life.

Dive into Jent's artistic journey, discover the inspirations behind their process, and enjoy a glimpse of their remarkable creations in the photos below.

1. Tell us about your background as an artist/maker/designer, and what tools/processes you use in your practice?

My name is Jent (Minh-Giang) Do, a non-binary Vietnamese multidisciplinary artist whose practice traverses new media art (3D, AI, creative coding), painting, and sculpture. I am currently based in Australia, briefly in the Gold Coast and moving to Melbourne next year. In 2023, I received a Bachelor of Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. My work has been exhibited at A Village Before Us at the John David Mooney Foundation, Chicago (2023) and Dithyramb at Door84, Brisbane (2024). During my recent participation in the Level Up 2024 residency (Sep-Dec 2024, Gold Coast, QLD), I made a series of sculptures using 3D printed and laser-cut elements. For future projects, I aim to continue reimagining my Vietnamese heritage through a science fiction, utopian lens as a non-binary person growing up on the internet.

My work bridges the digital and physical realms by fluctuating between new media art (3D, AI, creative coding), painting, and sculptures. I reimagine my Vietnamese heritage in relation to internet subcultures, science fiction, and queerness. My maximalist, highly-saturated aesthetic is drawn from intricate Vietnamese Dynastic architecture, especially the Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue City. Alongside, I employ generative art techniques to blend my digital artifacts and embrace the randomness that gives birth to esoteric biological forms of extraterrestrial beings, alluding to my experience as a non-binary person in a heteronormative world and a Vietnamese immigrant in a first-world country.

2. What brought you to The Edge?

I have always wanted to make sculptures using 3D printing and laser cutting that I didn’t utilise fully when I was in uni. In July 2024, I searched for digital fabrication studios and luckily found out about The Edge. The best thing is that it’s open source, so I was keen to sign up for the inductions of these two resources in October just in time for my 3-month art residency on the Gold Coast. I love that The Edge is welcoming and super helpful. I received endless technical support and insightful advice especially from Steve, Ellie, and Michelle.

3. Tell us more about this artwork?

During the Level Up residency, I constructed sculptures and paintings using digital fabrication methods such as laser-cutting and 3D printing that I use at The Edge, resulting in three main projects.

(1) “The Sacred Cockroach” is a laser-cut sculpture of a cockroach deity in clear fluorescent pink acrylic panels embedded in shapes inspired by Vietnamese traditional decorative art. It’s the fifth addition to the Four Scared Creatures central to Vietnamese belief. I have always been a fan of cockroaches because they can survive in harsh environments, and they should be honoured for that.

(2) “The Altar 00” is an altar assembled from 3D printed and laser cut parts executed at The Edge. This altar, normally used in Vietnamese rituals to pay respect to the ancestors, takes form of a creature, and the moving photo on the altar is a glitched video of my past self. The concept is about commemorating my past self that is already gone, embracing the transformation of oneself across timeline.

(3) “Ornaments” is a series of 3D printed wearable sculptures that transcends human forms that is designed in my maximalist style informed by Vietnamese dynastic architecture as always.

4. What were The Edge resources you used for this piece?

Since early October 2024, I booked weekly sessions for 3D printing, laser cutting, and sometimes I book a Lenovo laptop and Mac desktop to process my files and use the right settings on the specialised software.

5. Please let us know how we can find out more about you and your work?

You can find out about my work on Instagram: @jentxmgtd, and my website: jentxmgtd.cargo.site - I am slowly posting my new pieces there.