C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E
SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS, RESIDENCIES
2024 Asian Art in London’s Modern & Contemporary Asian Art Award, presented by Sotheby’s, London, UK
2023 Joan Mitchell Fellowship (Nominated)
2022 AIR Guiniguada, Gran Canaria Island, Spain
2021 Featured Artist, Artpop Billboard, Artpop Street Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2020 Judy Sigunick Fellowship, Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL
2020 Gilfalag Artist Residency/Solo Exhibition, Gil Society and Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland
2019 Regional Artist Project Grant, Charlotte Arts and Science Council, Charlotte, NC
2019 Artist Residency Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2019 The Denis Diderot [A-i-R] Grant, Château d’Orquevaux, Orquevaux, France
2018 Visual Artist Residency Fellowship, Hambidge Center for Creative Art and Science, Rabun Gap, GA
2018 Best Artist to Watch. The Best of the Best Award, Charlotte Magazine, Charlotte, NC
2018 Finalist, Mural Commission at CLT Airport, Charlotte, NC
2018 Merit-based Artist Residency Fellowship and Work-exchange Award, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2018 Charlotte Artist Residency Grant, The Ivey’s Hotel, Charlotte, NC
2017 Finalist, International Mural Painting Competition in Toride, Toride City, Ibaraki, Japan
2017 Winner, Charlotte Visual Artist Grant, HappeningsCLT Magazine, Charlotte, NC
2017 Asia Contemporary Young Artist Excellence Award, Sejong Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
2017 Winner, Artpop Billboard, Artpop Street Gallery, Charlotte, NC
EDUCATION
2015 BFA in Painting, Cum Laude, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2010 BFA in Fashion Design, National University of Art and Architecture Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
2015–Present, Interdisciplinary Artist, Charlotte, NC
2021-2024 Curatorial Board, Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest IL
2024 Artist Talk, Meet the Maker, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, NC
2023 ‘Contemporary Cartographies’ Artist Talk, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, FL
2022 ‘Crossing Boundaries’ Lecture, Akureyri Museum of Art, Akureyri, Iceland
2022 Juror (Jury Panel), Ohio Art Council for Visual Artist Individual Excellence Award, OH
2021 Guest Artist, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
2020 Visiting Artist, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA
2020 Online Artist Talk, POV Artist Program, Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest IL
2020 Artist Lecture ‘Materials in Contemporary Art’, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland
2020 Visiting Artist, Adams State University, Alamosa, CO
2019 Visiting Artist, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2019 Artist’s talk ‘Stimulus: Creation in Threads’, McColl Center for Art and Innovation, Charlotte, NC
2019 Artist lecture 'Silk: A metaphor of Identity', CLT Millennial Art Program, Elder Gallery for Contemporary Art, Charlotte NC
2019 Visiting artist, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2019 Juror (Jury Panel), Hambidge Center, Visual Artist Residency Application, Rabun Gap, GA
2018 Guest Lecturer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2018 Instructor, Artist workshop for Golden Acrylic Paint, Cheap Joe’s Art, Charlotte, NC
2016-2019 Instructor, Artist Workshop: Silk painting and Ink-wash painting, Durham Art Council, Durham, NC
2007-2010 Assistant Fashion Designer, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Confluence, The Branch Museum of Design, Richmond, VA (Upcoming)
2025 The Divine Eye, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC
2025 MOTHER TONGUE, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York, NY
2024 Mother / Land, Maya Frodeman Gallery, Jackson Hole, WY
2024 Eruption, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore
2024 Adaptations, Mint Museum, Charlotte NC
2024 Cham:Mapping Identity, Sugarlift Gallery. New York, NY
2023 Home/land. Sugarlift Gallery. New York, NY
2022 Intertwined. Susan O. Ahern Gallery, Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fond du Lac, WI
2022 Mirrors and Veils , Fitton Center For Creative Arts, Hamilton, OH
2021 Kenny Nguyen: Identity, Sozo Gallery, Charlotte NC
2020 Infinite Threads, Olin Fine Art Gallery, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA
2020 Marks on the skin, Deiglan Gilfelagio Gallery, Akureyri, Iceland (Rescheduled, Covid-19)
2020 Reconstruction, The Cloyde Snook Gallery, Adam State University, Alamosa, CO
2019 Interwoven, Solo Exhibition, Sozo Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2018 ‘Kenny Nguyen: The Indescribable Fears’, M Gallery, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
2018 ‘Interbeing’, Solo Exhibition, Sozo Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2016 Space of Otherness, Solo Exhibition at Allenton Gallery, Durham Art Councils, Durham, NC
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 Hoa Tay (Flower Hands), Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA
2024 Eastern Exposure: Meaning & Materiality in Contemporary Asian Art, presented by Sotheby’s, London, UK
2024 Nordart, Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf Germany
2023 Contemporary Cartographies, Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, FL
2023 Nordart, Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf Germany
2023 Băng Qua Nước : Across Land, Across Water, CCACC Art Gallery, MD
2022 À Gogo II, Mash Gallery & W Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Adorned: Inspired by Fabric and Fashion, Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Centers, Solomons MD
2021 Visual O, Mash Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Reconstructing Deconstruction, Brooklyn Collective Gallery, Charlotte NC
2021 Material Hard and Soft, Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton TX
2021 ArtPop Charlotte Class 2021, ArtPop Street Gallery National Juried Exhibition, Charlotte, NC
2020 Displacement, Resilience and Transformation: Seven Artist of Vietnamese Diaspora, Nguoi Viet Daily News Gallery, Westminster, CA (Rescheduled, Covid-19)
2020 Summer Invitation Exhibition. Swan Coach House Gallery, Forward Arts Foundation, Atlanta, GA
2020 Prism, Gallery C3, Charlotte, NC
2019 Collective(in)action, Memorial Union Gallery, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
2019 Constant/Change: Statements from New Generation of North Carolina Artist, Greenhill Center for North Carolina Art, Greensboro, NC
2019 Strive: National exhibition highlighting American Immigration and the American Dream, D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA
2019 The Fridge Show, Dinney House, Vermont Studio Center, VT. Curator: Annelies Kamen
2019 Artfields, Southeast Artist Competition, Lake City, SC
2019 North Carolina Artist Exhibition, Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh, Raleigh, NC. Juror: Chad Alligood
2018 Suspend, The Cloyde Snook Gallery, Adam State University, Alamosa, CO (*Best in Show)
2018 Peace & Justice, DSU Center Gallery, Delaware State University, Dover, DE
2018 Artfields, Jones-Carter Gallery, Lake City, SC
2018 Roderick MacKillop Memorial Alumni Art Exhibition, Rowe Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC
2017 Vietnamerica, Art Exhibition, Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion at Capitol Hill, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
2017 ‘What makes Life an Art’, Gwanghwamun International Art Festival, Sejong Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
2017 12thAnnual Emerald Spring Painting Exhibition, Emerald Art Center, Springfield, OR
2017 45th International Art Exhibition, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, Brownsville, TX
2017 Artpop Billboard, Charlotte Art and Science Council, Artpop Street Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2017 North Carolina Artist Exhibition, Betty McCain Gallery, Raleigh, NC
Juror: Michael Rooks
2017 Conroe Art League Invitational Exhibition, Conroe Art League, Conroe, TX
2016 Artist Statement, International Exhibition and Book Publication, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum.Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
2016 CICA’2016 Artist and Location, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
2016 Fearless, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL
2016 Tallahassee International Exhibition, Florida State University Museum of Fine Art, Tallahassee, FL
2016 Asia Contemporary Young Artist Award Exhibition, Sejong Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea (*Excellence Award)
2016 North Carolina Artist Exhibition, Betty McCain Gallery, Raleigh, NC (*Juror’s Choice Award)
Juror: Bradley Sumrall
2016 First LaGrange Southeast Regional Exhibition, LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, GA.
Juror: Deanna Sirlin (*Juror Merit Award)
2016 NASAD Exhibition. Student Union Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2015 Generations: 40 Hues of Black and White, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
Curators: Dinh Q. Le, Stephen Anderson
2015 Celebration of Chinese Opera, Katzen Art Center at the American University, Washington, D.C.
2015 2nd Annual Living Mark Exhibition, Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR
2015 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival - Juried Visual Art Exhibition Trust Arts Education Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Juror: Astria Suparak
2015 MIS, Rowe Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2015 (In)Tangible, Rowe Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2014 Persuasion, Rowe Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2014 Direct and In-direct Juried Exhibition, Rowe Gallery, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Juror: Sara Schneckloth
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
2025 Lacombe, Gabriella. "A Mirror In-Between." Style Weekly, 07 Sept. 2025, https://www.styleweekly.com/a-mirror-in-between/.
2025 Adams, Helen. "Textile Fine Art Conversations with Artists Creating by Hand." Laurence King, 2025.
2025 Eisenschink, Christoph. "Stop Over Charlotte: 'I Have Enough Space Here to Be Creative.'" Lufthansa, 29 Aug. 2025, https://www.lufthansa.com/id/en/articles/explore-the-world/stop-over-charlotte.
2025 Brown, Virginia. "How a Charlotte fiber artist entwines his Vietnamese heritage with his artwork." The Charlotte Observer Online, 24 Aug. 2025, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/charlottefive/c5-people/article311502180.html.
2025 The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. "Kenny Nguyen: The Divine Eye." Hyperallergic, 22 Aug. 2025, https://hyperallergic.com/1035821/kenny-nguyen-the-divine-eye/.
2025 Genis, Leia. "‘Hoa Tay (Flower Hands)’ Searches for Cultural Assimilation in New Orleans." Observer, 17 July. 2025, https://observer.com/2025/07/review-hoa-tay-flower-hands-at-the-ogden-museum-of-southern-art/.
2025 Ojha, Srishti. "In a New York solo, diaspora artist Kenny Nguyen makes colour his language." STIRworld, 29 May. 2025, https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-in-a-new-york-solo-diaspora-artist-kenny-nguyen-makes-colour-his-language.
2025 Zhang, Lisa Yin. "Kenny Nguyen's Beautiful Refusal." Hyperallergic, 20 May. 2025, https://hyperallergic.com/1014287/kenny-nguyen-mother-tongue-sundaram-tagore-allery/.
2025 Fiber Art Now. "Fiber Art Now – Winter 2025." Fiber Art Now, vol. 14, pp. 72-79.
2024 Ho, Louis. "10 must-see exhibitions at Singapore Gallery Month 2024, according to an art curator." Tatler, 6 Sept. 2024, https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/10-must-see-exhibitions-at-singapore-gallery-month-2024.
2024 Pingel, Maile. "Unfurling Charlotte Artist Kenny Nguyen’s Complex Silk Paintings." Luxe Interiors + Design, 4 Sept. 2024, https://luxesource.com/article/artist-kenny-nguyen-charlotte.
2022 Roberts, Lisa. "Art of the State Celebrating the Visual Art of North Carolina." The University of North Carolina Press, 2022.
2021 Logan, Liz. “The Silk Road - Kenny Nguyen’s art is an epic tale sculpted with silk.” Queen City Nerves, 7 Sep. 2021, pp. 8-9.
2020 Truc, Doan. “Kenny Nguyen – Dreams of a butterfly.” Elle Decoration Vietnam, 16 May. 2020, pp. 24-27.
2019 Pressler, Alyssa. “Kenny Nguyen Speaks through His Arts.” The Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2019, pp. 1,3C.
2019 Pressler, Alyssa, and Daremen J. “Artist Kenny Nguyen and ‘a Beautiful Way to Communicate'.” The Charlotte Observer Online, 23 Jan. 2019, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/latest-news/article224978845.html.
2018 Local Stories. “Art & Life with Kenny Nguyen.” VoyagePhoenix - Phoenix, 27 Nov. 2018, voyagephoenix.com/interview/art-life-kenny-nguyen/.
2018 Im, Seonyoung, and Seungsub Baik . “Kenny Nguyen, The Indescribable Fears.” CICA Art Now 2018, edited by Hyunjin Bang, CICA Press, 2018, pp. 112–120.
2017 Cote, Grace, and Lia Newman. “‘Carolina Art Crush: Artist Kenny Nguyen’, Interview.” HappeningsCLT, 5 May 2017. https://happeningsclt.com/2017/05/05/carolina-art-crush-kenny-nguyen/.
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