Zac Buehner - CV

79 Trinh Khac Lap, Thanh My Loi,

Thu Duc City, HCMC 70000

+84 934-160-542

zbuehner@gmail.com

About

I have been professionally active as an artist, fabricator, designer, and creative since 2004. I was born and raised in New York City, now based in Vietnam, and have pursued a creative path since early childhood. I have worked across a spectrum of creative disciplines and crafts as a conceptual arts fabricator (studio lead for artist Tom Friedman), architectural metal fabricator (Salmon Studios & Steelhead Studios), and as a generalist art fabricator/designer for boutique ad agency (Ki Saigon) doing creative package design, installation, and concept.

My wide ranging experience in material problem solving and refined handcraft gives me a unique perspective on the overlaps between disciplines where new solutions and ideas can be discovered. I have 20+ years experience in delivering finished products, projects, and installations that are outstanding for high quality and novel concept, with works featured in prominent design publications like DesignBoom, and F@st Company et al, and have a London International Award for innovative packaging design, 2001, for a pop-up-book style project with Ki Saigon.

In recent years I have been developing “kirigami” cut-&-fold techniques in metals to make useful and aesthetic flat-fold CNC products for furniture and home decor. The role of managing innovation for a progressive flat-fold creative company leaped out to me as a rare position imagined for someone with my particular background confluence of art and engineering, creativity and craft. That the products are designed to spread love and joy is a thrilling and worthwhile endeavor, and I couldn’t picture a position for which I am better suited.

Skills

Crafts

Paper Sculpting/Metal Fabrication/Plastic Fabrication/Mould Making/Casting Hot & Cold/Woodcraft/Drafting/Scenic Painting

Design Tools

Illustrator/Photoshop/Autocad/Figma

Creative

Creative Direction/Material and Craft Consultancy/Concept/Design Consultancy/Packaging & Product Design and Prototyping

Other

Fine Arts/Installation Arts/Digital Arts/Multi-Media Arts/Sound Arts

Experience

Presently

Artist - 2023 to today

Notable Projects:

My solo exhibition titled, “Current” opened May 4th, 2025, at Vin Gallery, HCMC.

This was my 3rd solo gallery exhibition, with work I made over a year and a half, to fill both floors of Vin Gallery’s HCMC space. The work was wide ranging, including painting, sculpture, mixed-media, video, and sound, and the individual artworks tied together as a cohesive installation. The show was about processing change, from personal growth I’ve experienced, to global shifts we face together.

“Burn to Shine” fire mural for De La Sol flagship of SunLife Vietnam, 2023.

I worked with The Lab Saigon to design, and solely execute, a unique mural made by flame treating stainless panels to draw out iridescent color and texture. The mural covered both sides of the feature sculptural staircase that surrounded the open-air entry/exhibition space of De La Sol creative space. I was the subject of the making-of video used as the first promotional video of SunLife’s flagship exhibition space.

Previously

Art Fabricator/Designer/Creative Consultant/Installation Artist

Ki Saigon - 2018 to 2022

Notable projects:

Letters to the Future - 2022

I was the Artist/Fabrication Team Leader for, “Letters to the Future” project, which received international critical acclaim, and was featured in DesignBoom/F@st Company/Long Now et al. The project was also shortlisted for a D&AD award in the category of “Book Design” 2022, and is in the permanent collection of M+ Museum in Hong Kong.

Peace Garden - 2020

I was the Artist/Packaging Designer on the globally viral “Peace Pizzas” project for Pizza 4Ps, which also received prominent international acclaim including features in DesignBoom/Campaign et al. The project won Silver at the London International Awards for “Packaging Design” in 2021, and was short-listed for a D&AD award that same year. We released the project on World Peace day in 2020, as a gallery installation titled, “Peace Garden” filling the room with blooming pop-up pizza box flowers.

Spice Murals - 2020

I was the Artist featured in the video for the Spice Murals project released on World Peace Day, for Pizza 4Ps in 2020. I helped conceive, illustrate, and solely execute three murals made entirely from spices that were documented and released as part of 4Ps Peace Day Campaign. The murals have been made into large light-box displays that remain permanent installations at two of their HCMC locations.

Education

2004 - Bachelor of Fine Arts - Hampshire College

Awards

Winner - Silver LIA, London International Award for “Package Design - Promotional Packaging” 2021 View

Shortlist - D&AD Award for “Packaging Design - Promotional” 2021 View

Shortlist - D&AD Award for “Book Design - Limited Edition & Fine Binding Books” 2022 View

Top Projects

Peace Pizzas

Pop-up flower & packaging designer/Installation artist
Spice Murals

Creative consultant/Illustrator/Artist
Letters to the Future

Creative consultant/Book designer/Fabrication lead/Artist

Project Videos

Garden of Peace

Murals for Peace

Letters to the Future

Letters to the Future - The Exhibition

Burn to Shine

As Above So Below

Top Features

Click images to view article

Kirigami Flat-Fold Gallery

Flat-fold Siddhartha sculpture, portable alter, made with stainless steel, folds by hand. My design based on my wife’s inspiration.
Fully assembled flat-fold Siddhartha sculpture, “Inner Buddha.”
Flat-fold decorative chess set I designed incorporating Kashew branding for style.
Flat-fold chess set detail in play.

“Current” Exhibition Gallery

First room in the gallery with the water-chess sculpture in the center.
Flat-fold chess table sculpture titled, “Spectrum,” with water on the surface. When you play the pieces cause rippling in the water.
Live painting titled, “Dust.” Performative element of my solo exhibition at Vin Gallery.
“Say Om” sculpture in second room of Vin Gallery exhibition.
“Wading” series on second floor of Vin Gallery.
“Memories”