Podcast
Bao Quyen: How do you build a heart? On the exhibition The Ceramic Heart
Pilot episode of the podcast Příběhy mezi kulturami
27 min · Released on Spotify on 14 April 2026
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In short
- Illustrator Bao Quyen “Niky” describes how The Ceramic Heart came about – a comic and exhibition about self-love and self-worth.
- The comic opens up the experiences of Vietnamese girls and shows why comments about appearance hurt more than we often admit.
- The Japanese method of kintsugi, mending broken ceramics with gold, becomes an image of how even our “cracks” can be beautiful.
- The exhibition ran from 2 April to 6 May 2026 at Vnitroblock in Prague; its accompanying programme included the TAMly panel on the position of women in Vietnamese society.
In the pilot episode of the podcast Příběhy mezi kulturami we talk with illustrator Bao Quyen “Niky” about the exhibition and comic The Ceramic Heart. A sensitive, open and powerful conversation about accepting yourself, courage, and how even our “cracks” can be beautiful.
Hosted by Bao Nhi. Editing and camera: Linda. Recorded at DCG Studio.
What it covers
In this episode
- how The Ceramic Heart project came about
- why self-love is such a personal topic for Bao Quyen
- how the comic opens up the experiences of Vietnamese girls
- why comments about appearance hurt more than we often admit
- what the kintsugi method symbolises
- the accompanying programme to look forward to
- why the project reaches far beyond the exhibition itself
The Ceramic Heart exhibition
The exhibition ran at Vnitroblock in Prague from 2 April to 6 May 2026. Its co-author is product designer and ceramicist Veronika Le.
Accompanying programme:
- 18 April 2026, 16:00–18:00: panel discussion on the position of women in Vietnamese society (TAMly × Viet Up)
- 2 May 2026, 16:00–18:00: card workshop Stories within us (TAMly)
About the podcast Příběhy mezi kulturami
Příběhy mezi kulturami opens authentic conversations about identity, roots, relationships and life between two worlds. It brings personal stories and topics that connect cultures, generations and experiences – a space for sharing, understanding and dialogue about what shapes us and what connects us despite our differences.
Tips for you
You can answer the questions anonymously. Answers appear once the TAMly team has checked them.
Which words about your looks or character do you still remember? How would you answer them today?
What would it mean for you to see your “cracks” as part of who you are?
Who close to you would you like to tell something kind that you need to hear yourself?
Sharing guidelines
- Anonymously – no names or personal details.
- With respect – no insults, hate or attacks on others.
- Speak for yourself – your own experience and views.
- We protect privacy – do not share sensitive details about other people.
Sources and further reading
- Bao Quyen – odkazy na tvorbu a výstavu The Ceramic Heart. linktr.ee/tbaoquyen linktr.ee ↗
- Vnitroblock – místo konání výstavy The Ceramic Heart (2. 4. – 6. 5. 2026). vnitroblock.cz www.vnitroblock.cz ↗
- Bao Nhi (2026). Keramické srdce: sebeláska, srovnávání a mlčení ve vietnamské komunitě. Článek TAMly navazující na díl. tamly.cz ↗
- TAMly × Viet Up (2026). Postavení žen ve vietnamské společnosti. Panelová diskuze z doprovodného programu výstavy. tamly.cz ↗
- Kincugi (kintsugi) – japonská technika opravy keramiky zlatem. Wikipedie cs.wikipedia.org ↗
- Bà Triệu – vůdkyně povstání ve 3. století, postava z komiksu. Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org ↗
- TAMly – Příběhy mezi kulturami (Spotify) open.spotify.com ↗
- Linka bezpečí – 116 111. linkabezpeci.cz www.linkabezpeci.cz ↗
- Nevypusť duši – duševní zdraví, informace a pomoc. nevypustdusi.cz nevypustdusi.cz ↗
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