Suzanne Thao

Suzanne Thao is a virtuosic maker and instructor in the Hmong tradition of paj ntaub, a needlework technique practiced by Hmong women. Thao began learning the technique at the age of seven, from her grandmother, mother and aunts, and she has now been practicing and teaching this technique for over 50 years. Deeply committed to preserving Hmong art, Thao has shared this technique with her daughter, Chuayi Yang, and is the inaugural instructor of Project Paj Ntaub, the free monthly paj ntaub workshop offered through the Hmong Museum in St. Paul, MN.