My artwork reflects my memories of my time in Vietnam before 1975, ranging from mother-child portraits to abstract rural scenery. Vietnam’s stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage are the foundation of my artistic journey. Each work serves not only as a celebration of the country’s beauty but also as a poignant reflection on the complexities of human experience, evoking a sense of melancholy that I hope will resonate deeply with viewers. By employing an array of techniques and compositions, I hope to breathe life into my visions by skillfully using the simple elegance of black ink as well as intricate colors, patterns, and textures to create works that are both visually striking and emotionally moving.
Nguyen, born in 1933, was a leading young artist in the Vietnamese art scene despite the 22 years of war in his native land. Prior to immigrating to the United States, Nguyen was already well regarded for his woodblocks, lacquers, and silk paintings that depicted traditional Vietnamese subjects. He mostly painted cultural settings and portraits of peasants. The French and Chinese were major influences on his early works, balancing the sobriety of the East with the grace of the West.
This photo was taken in 1966 with John Steinbeck, a famous American writer who won the Nobel Prize for the novel "The Grapes of Wrath.” Nguyen, dressed in a black tuxedo, and others in the Vietnamese art world received the writer when he came to learn about the Vietnam War. Nguyen, at the time, was the chairman of the Young Artists Association.
In the United States, through his countless exhibitions, demonstrations, teachings, and art juror responsibilities, Nguyen has become an established American artist.
As a local artist living in the District of Columbia, Nguyen has distinguished himself by the following noteworthy achievements:
He opened a successful art gallery in Georgetown on M Street to exhibit his collection of paintings of beautiful scenes of Washington, DC. For 10 years, the gallery showcased his ability to paint unique subjects in different styles and various mediums.
He won an Honorable Mention at the National Design Competition for the D.C. Korean War Memorial Competition.
He was guest artist at the Kennedy Center to demonstrate the art of watercolor on silk for the Center’s “Focus on Asia” program.
As an accomplished portrait artist, Nguyen’s painting of President William Clinton was selected by the president himself to be exhibited in the White House Library during his presidency.
Nguyen, now 91 years old, still works tirelessly on his latest collection. He focused once again on the Vietnamese culture and people. Each work highlights the beauty of his graceful lines and exquisite details, as well as a kind of whimsical melancholy executed using simple black ink on paper. His colorful abstracts are a play of negative spaces to express emotions in new shades. The technique involves dousing nearly finished works in water, which rinses off dark, redundant patches of color or unwanted strokes. Nguyen noted, “dissolved in water, the paintings put on new hues, which I did not envision in the first place. That allows me bolder brush strokes and easier correction. Immersing paintings in water also helps minimize paper shrinkage and thus smoothens and perfects the artworks.”
