Thu Nguyen

About the Artist

I were born in Saigon, Vietnam. Being very shy, I spent much of my childhood upstairs making quilts, doll clothes and painting instead of playing with other children. My painting won ""Best of Show"" prize at a 1974 children''s exhibition in Saigon sponsored by UNICEF. In 1975, my family was split up. I ended up in Hong Kong for a year prior to immigrating to the United States as an orphan. After one very snowy and cold winter in Pennsylvania, I came to Los Angeles (where I had a stint with Hollywood - I got a part in Oliver Stone''s ""Heaven and Earth"" and followed with the lead role in Elizabeth Hong Yang''s ""Touch within"" in China, while working as a fashion model for 4 years). Since then I have lived, worked and exhibiting my work in many parts of the US including 10 years in Seattle, Washington and currently Cabot, Arkansas. I''m also a part-time resident in Lubec, Maine. I live and work from my little trailer on my Lubec property all summer long.
I paint mostly oil on panel. I first focused on figurative work, but during the last 10 + years, I began to explore the landscape/plantscape. To me, landscape/plantscape weren''t work at all - they were so enjoyable. But even as I focused on landscape/plantscape, I always kept ideas and inspiration for figurative paintings in the back of my mind. I always tried to balance my career with both landscape/plantscape and figurative work.
I prefer not to have an artistic statement because my paintings are painters'' paintings. I want my work to stand on its own without the crutch of a message statement. To me, painting is first and foremost a visual-aesthetic experience. What I dislike in some contemporary art is the notion that the concept behind the piece is more important than the visual experience gained from the piece.
I received my painting degree from Cal State University, Long Beach. I also received grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation two times and three times from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.
My work is represented in many public and private collections coast to coast.