a non-profit gallery for the visual and performing arts

2833-A Hathaway Rd., Richmond, VA 23225
in the Stratford Hills Shopping Center

Gallery hours beginning Saturday, January 22, 2022:
Noon to 4pm, Tuesday - Sunday
Free and Open to the Public
Purchase artwork from our online store

Influences

My current work consists of abstracted landscapes that link the actions of human nature (consumption, waste, encroachment) to the natural world. As a Vietnamese American artist, I emphasize cultural identity as a connection to my past. This connection allows me to personally address socioeconomics, the environment, and identity. With my background, I work with an investigative mind. During this period, repetition has been an important contributor. The repetitive motion of small marks within a confined space becomes patterns that embody a sort of meditative quality. The summation of these patterns reflect movement and the transient quality of change. It references the environment and my observations of the elements that make up physical and non-physical spaces. There is a sense of randomness dispersed among an organized matrix that relates to topographic maps in their description and quantification of boundaries, elevations, and depressions. To me, drawing and painting are inseparable. I use them interchangeably to achieve a certain level of spontaneity. Inevitably my early influences came from traditional Asian art, particularly landscape paintings and their poetic connection to nature. Experimenting with different ways to apply medium onto the work surface pushes the exploration of geometry, movement, and colors.

Biography

(b. 1977)
Vu Quoc Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American artist currently working in Central Pennsylvania. He holds a BFA in painting, as well as Doctor of Medicine from Pennsylvania College of Art and Ross University School of Medicine respectively. His works progressed and evolved over the years in a multitude of disciplines including painting, drawing, photography, and installations. Beneath a constant craving for experimentation, an awareness of the environment and culture has always been the basis of his work. At first glance, the chaotic nature of his compositions compels viewers towards closer inspection. As layers of interrupted lines and clusters of marks materialize, patterns and contours of landscapes reinvent themselves. These abstracted landscapes are inspired by his travels in Southeast Asia. They examine the impact of climate change on the region's culture and socioeconomics. As an observer, Nguyen's work interprets the effects of humans on the environment. He believes that awareness of environmental issues such as climate change can be a first step towards making changes that will sustain future generations. Nguyen’s works can be seen in public and private collections throughout the US and abroad.

Vu Nguyen: studio practice

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Vu Nguyen: Touching Earth

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Study of Meridian 1
24 x 18 inches
Acrylic, watercolor, pencil on paper
NFS

Study of Meridian 2
24 x 18 inches
Acrylic, watercolor, pencil on paper
NFS