OUR RESIDENT CREATORS
Symbiosis is a creative studio and gallery that houses a diverse group of resident teachers. Each person brings a unique perspective and diversity to our creative community. From local Vietnamese artisans to international artist, writers, developers, craft enthusiasts, and passionate makers, we all have somethings special we want to share.
Alyssa J./ FOUNDER of Symbiosis
Painter Ceramicist Textile Artist
Alyssa is a Brush Painting artist known for her appreciation of simplicity, spontaneity, and asymmetry. Inspired by Victorian botanical illustrations and light, she uses single brush strokes to blend colors. Her clothing label, ‘the old is new again,’ revitalizes vintage clothing with organic cotton and antique textiles. Alyssa also works with porcelain and earthenware clay, aiming to add individuality to an era of mass production. A Creative Arts graduate from Brighton, UK, she has lived in Saigon, Vietnam, since 2014.
Yulie Redkina / DIGITAL ARTIST
Yulie is a digital artist based in Ho Chi Minh City, where art and science converge to create boundless digital works. Specializing in vibrant designs, she transforms ideas into murals, posters, brand identities, and more, bringing imagination to life. Passionate about branding, Yulie empowers others to follow their dreams and create what they love.
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CYNDI / KIDS ART TEACHER
Hello, I’m Cyndi, and I've enjoyed facilitating children's creative workshops in HCMC for many years. Our workshops are adventures where we explore creativity together, learn about art processes, and experiment with different methods. We focus on self-expression and often draw inspiration from nature. I'm excited to collaborate with Symbiosis and return to Snap Cafe for more creative workshops. Looking forward to our creative adventures soon!
LARISA NGUYEN / ART THERAPIST
Certified Art Therapist, Certified Resonant Healing Practitioner, Nonviolent Communication Practitioner
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2019: Earned a Certificate as an “Art-Facilitator of Visual Nonviolent Communication” from NVC Academy, UK.
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2020: Achieved an Art-Therapist qualification with honors, receiving a Diploma from NADPO Academy, Moscow.
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2021: Became certified as a Resonance Support Practitioner through the annual program led by Sarah Peyton (USA) and Olga Nguyen (UK).
2024: Completed the Certified Therapeutic Play Practitioner training for the Differently Abled program with The National Association of Play Therapy India.
César Yael Vélez, a Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist, bridges movement, performance, and visual art to challenge boundaries and explore identity. Starting with folkloric dance in his youth in Puerto Rico, to finding physical theater in Argentina, and transformative Performance Art in Mexico and Cuba, Vélez's journey led to Transitionalism—a philosophy that sees art as an evolving process, not a fixed result. His works, like M de Masculino (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2013) and Ambulant-Wanderer (Hong Kong, 2017), invite audiences to experience art as a living narrative. Now based in Vietnam, Vélez continues diving into the realms of art and philosophy, documenting life-as-performance through an ever-changing variety of disciplines and mediums.
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Karine Guillermin / VISUAL ARTIST
Karine Guillermin is a visual artist whose work explores the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and immersive installations. Her approach draws from nature, philosophy, and human emotions, creating works that stimulate reflection and introspection. Through simple forms and vibrant colors, she invites the viewer to feel and live the art beyond mere observation. Since 2017, she has lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City, where her creations have found a place on the international scene, while maintaining a deep connection with the ephemeral and impermanent.
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Alicia Moran / MAKER, POET
Alicia Moran is a multidisciplinary maker, organizer, and poet based in Saigon. Her work and events explore and celebrate reflection and growth through the act of play. Her series Show & Tell showcases original works made within the community, bringing together makers and artists across genres and mediums.
VIC P. / VISUAL ARTIST
Vic is an eclectic visual artist blending creativity into daily life, celebrating beauty in both the mundane and the magnificent. Whether capturing nature’s tranquility, the spontaneity of plein-air, or the soulful gaze of a portrait, Vic invites viewers to see the world with a beginner’s mind, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, one brush-stroke at a time.
Vic’s workshops present techniques for self-expression in daily living, inspiring creators to reconnect with their passions and our world. Vic co-owns a business development company based in HCMC, harmonizing creative vision with strategic insight to bring dreams alive.