Chau Nguyen 'Unravel'
"Unravel," old canvas, paint stripper, oil, oil pastel, gesso, history book on 4x6 in. postcard. Text reads, ‘patriotism and the will to fight’. 2021.
Artist Statement
“As a first-generation immigrant artist, I draw from memory, nature, and elements of Vietnam to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, mental illnesses, and transnational belonging. My stylistic reference to the Western landscape painting traditions co-mingles with eastern influences (scroll and mainstream narrative formats) to denote the postcolonial concept of transnationality. My work sets the platform to question the notion of cultural authenticity while using first-person narratives to negate the colonial gaze.”
Artist Bio
Chau Nguyen is a Vietnamese immigrant artist based in Philadelphia. Their visual language draws from memory, cultural roots, and landscape elements to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, and transnational belonging.
Nguyen is pursuing an MFA in Painting at Tyler School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia, PA). They were an artist in residence at Chautauqua Art Institution. Their work has been in group and solo exhibitions at The Monmouth Museum (NJ), The Woodmere Art Museum (PA), Visionary Projects (NY), Studio Montclair (NJ), Philadelphia Sketch Club (PA), Gallery Steinsland Berliner (Stockholm), and DIS Art Space (Copenhagen).
"Unravel," old canvas, paint stripper, oil, oil pastel, gesso, history book on 4x6 in. postcard. Text reads, ‘patriotism and the will to fight’. 2021.
Artist Statement
“As a first-generation immigrant artist, I draw from memory, nature, and elements of Vietnam to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, mental illnesses, and transnational belonging. My stylistic reference to the Western landscape painting traditions co-mingles with eastern influences (scroll and mainstream narrative formats) to denote the postcolonial concept of transnationality. My work sets the platform to question the notion of cultural authenticity while using first-person narratives to negate the colonial gaze.”
Artist Bio
Chau Nguyen is a Vietnamese immigrant artist based in Philadelphia. Their visual language draws from memory, cultural roots, and landscape elements to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, and transnational belonging.
Nguyen is pursuing an MFA in Painting at Tyler School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia, PA). They were an artist in residence at Chautauqua Art Institution. Their work has been in group and solo exhibitions at The Monmouth Museum (NJ), The Woodmere Art Museum (PA), Visionary Projects (NY), Studio Montclair (NJ), Philadelphia Sketch Club (PA), Gallery Steinsland Berliner (Stockholm), and DIS Art Space (Copenhagen).
"Unravel," old canvas, paint stripper, oil, oil pastel, gesso, history book on 4x6 in. postcard. Text reads, ‘patriotism and the will to fight’. 2021.
Artist Statement
“As a first-generation immigrant artist, I draw from memory, nature, and elements of Vietnam to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, mental illnesses, and transnational belonging. My stylistic reference to the Western landscape painting traditions co-mingles with eastern influences (scroll and mainstream narrative formats) to denote the postcolonial concept of transnationality. My work sets the platform to question the notion of cultural authenticity while using first-person narratives to negate the colonial gaze.”
Artist Bio
Chau Nguyen is a Vietnamese immigrant artist based in Philadelphia. Their visual language draws from memory, cultural roots, and landscape elements to convey frictions at the intersection of cultural identity, domestic trauma, and transnational belonging.
Nguyen is pursuing an MFA in Painting at Tyler School of Art and Architecture (Philadelphia, PA). They were an artist in residence at Chautauqua Art Institution. Their work has been in group and solo exhibitions at The Monmouth Museum (NJ), The Woodmere Art Museum (PA), Visionary Projects (NY), Studio Montclair (NJ), Philadelphia Sketch Club (PA), Gallery Steinsland Berliner (Stockholm), and DIS Art Space (Copenhagen).