I love turning blank canvases into priceless heirlooms to preserve memories, honor identity, and immortalize moments of human connection.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
Paintings that blends realism with symbolism to tell layered and emotionally driven stories are my favorite. I’m drawn to creating pieces that evoke something deeply human, like love, grief, heritage, or identity. With a foundation in realistic portraiture, I enjoy creating paintings and murals that merge technical precision with narrative depth to transform emotion and experience into visual form.
Where do you find inspiration?I draw inspiration from the beauty and meaning hidden within everyday life, especially in perspectives often overlooked or taken for granted. As a second-generation American with roots in Vietnam and China, living between cultures has deeply shaped my worldview. Navigating dual identities inspires me to reflect on belonging, tradition, and the ways our backgrounds influence how we connect, communicate, and understand one another.
What would you do with $25,000?Funding will allow me to expand my practice beyond commissioned work and dedicate time to developing a new exhibition-based body of original paintings. This series will explore themes of migration, diaspora, inherited culture, nostalgia, and generational healing through more conceptual and narrative-driven storytelling. This opportunity will provide the resources to create ambitious work that challenges perspective, sparks dialogue, and deepen the impact of my artistic voice.
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