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From an accidentally broken bottle of wine, a journey began to transform seemingly discarded glass shards into works of art carrying memories. Founded in 2025, this small project by young artist Bui Duy Anh (born in 2000) is not simply a creative studio, but also a way to preserve stories and emotions in a very unique way.
Accept from the broken pieces
“It didn’t all start with a grand business plan, but with a very personal moment. I accidentally broke a bottle of Rémy Martin VSOP – a memento of the early days of my relationship with my girlfriend. However, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, because I believe that things connected to emotions shouldn’t end up in the trash,” Duy Anh confided.
Therefore, the young man took matters into his own hands and tried every way to preserve the commemorative bottle. By chance, he came across foreign artists transforming broken pieces into paintings. With a deep love for art, Duy Anh quickly experimented with his first painting using the broken glass shards.
From shards of glass, memories are reborn.
Completing the first painting was not easy. During that time, he and his partner had quite a few arguments. There were times when it seemed like they were just trying to "save" a broken bottle, but in reality, they were struggling with unspoken emotions.
The process went through many stages: exhaustion, doubt, and even helplessness. Yet, when the painting was finished, both felt a distinct sense of relief, as if something had been rearranged.
Duy Anh expressed: “That moment made us realize that what we were doing wasn't just recycling glass, but also a way to confront the imperfections in life. From that very first painting, we also came to believe that what was broken doesn't necessarily have to be the end.”
"If cared for long enough and with enough patience, those disparate pieces can still form a new shape. Although the shape may no longer be the same as the original, to me, their new form is still beautiful in a different way," he added.
Imperfect pieces, when placed in the right way, can still create a new and meaningful beauty.
More than just recycling materials, each painting is a journey of connecting unfinished emotions and stories left unsaid.
The layers of emotion conveyed
Duy Anh spent about three weeks completing his first painting. In fact, for the first two weeks, he was almost stuck in a loop: from breaking things apart to rearranging them, then being dissatisfied and starting all over again.
The young man said, "It wasn't until I realized that I couldn't just smash everything back together to make it perfect that I wanted. The pieces in life don't just happen the way we want them to. What I learned wasn't about controlling them, but about accepting them and putting them in their proper place."
From the fifth bottle onwards, he stopped searching for perfection, instead beginning to find inspiration and learn to adapt to what already existed. Nowadays, it takes an average of 3-6 days to complete a piece, depending on its complexity and the story behind it.
Behind each artwork lies not only glass and color, but also memories, emotions, and beliefs that are preserved.
"The biggest challenge, for me personally, isn't the technical aspect, but the communication with clients. That conversation transforms us from complete strangers into trusted partners. That's not easy at all," Duy Anh explained.
Some conversations are very long, and some stories are told very slowly. Therefore, the creator must take the time to listen, feel the spirit of the story, and only then can they sketch out ideas that resonate with the emotions of the recipient.
He candidly shared: "Sometimes, I also have to learn to temper my artistic ego so as not to impose my personal inspiration on the client's story. Fortunately, during that process, my partner always helps me maintain a balance, harmonizing my creative personality with the client's wishes."
Piece of Spirit's artworks are primarily created from shards of glass from wine bottles, perfume bottles, and other similar items. However, the materials used to create a piece of artwork vary depending on the specific product line.
From brokenness to rebirth, art becomes a way for people to confront and heal their imperfections.
Common samples can be collected from shops or bars, but with limited editions or rare spirits, finding them is almost like "searching for a needle in a haystack." Therefore, many customers often bring their own bottles as a way of passing on memories so the studio can continue telling the story. The bottle with the highest material value Duy Anh has ever worked on is a bottle of Royal Salute 21 Blended Malts. However, for him, the bottle that holds the most meaning is Vodka Men – the kind of liquor his father used to drink.
"It's not expensive, but that bottle is connected to my childhood and very personal memories," Duy Anh shared. As the person directly involved in making the product, he commented that sometimes the greatest value of an item doesn't lie in its price, but in the story behind it.
A painting typically consists of four main parts: the outer layer, the frame; the middle layer, made up of fragments and decorative details such as dried flowers, seashells, moss, pebbles, images, or streaks of color; and the final layer, resin, which binds everything together into a whole.
However, for Duy Anh, it is the "fifth part"—the story behind the painting—that makes the work meaningful and personal. The prices of the works are kept at a fairly accessible level, starting from 400,000 VND.
One of his most memorable works is "Luminous Glow," inspired by the bioluminescent sea phenomenon off Vaadhoo Island (Maldives). This was his first attempt at incorporating phosphorescent light into painting, requiring extensive experimentation with color layers, darkness levels, and how the light would glow in the dark.
Each painting tells a unique story, where the past is cherished and retold in a gentler way.
Another particularly special piece was by the first customer. This customer's words resonated deeply with him: "Alcohol can destroy a family meal." It wasn't just a painting, but a collection of very different facets of life.
Since embarking on this journey, Duy Anh has also realized that his passion for art has been awakened more strongly than ever before. Many works have been born from personal feelings in response to nature and light, such as "The River" or "The Glowing Sea"—paintings that combine phosphorescent effects to recreate the magical beauty of the sea at night. These experiences are not only experiments in technique but also a way for the artist to find inspiration from very ordinary moments of the world around him. Therefore, nature and landscapes have gradually become a very natural "touchpoint" in Piece of Spirit's creations.
However, the core of the work still lies in the emotions and the story behind it. Because each fragment, when placed within the right narrative, can become a very personal part of someone's memory: preserved, cherished, and told again in a gentler way.
