Spotlight Artist

Xuan-Lam Nguyen

Northeast
Artist profile photo

42 Yet Kiew St, Hanoi

Art students painting at easels in a colorful, busy classroom studio.

acrylic, paste, colored pencils, and photo transfer

Welcome to the Met

Colorful surreal painting of Buddha surrounded by abstract shapes and cosmic elements.

acrylic and colored pencil on panel

2900 kilometers from home

Person in a wide hat stands among colorful, tropical plants under a vibrant sky.

acrylic and colored pencil on panel

Featured in New American Paintings1 / 3

Artist Statement

 Characterized by exuberant gradients and a sense of maximalism, my art making process includes painting, drawing, digital art, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture, blending the methods of an archaeologist with the spontaneity of a disc jockey. Inspired by the writings of Frantz Fanon, Homi K. Bhabha, Edward Said, José Esteban Muñoz, and Legacy Russell, I draw from sources like Vietnamese folk painting, displaced cultural artifacts, colonial photographs, Western art history, ornaments, pop culture, and elements of my autobiography. Through my work, I explore the intricate intersections of queer identity and glitchy, historical narratives, transforming archival references from the past and envisioning new possibilities for the future.

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