Solo Exhibition: One World to Share

I hosted my first solo exhibition at the VAIS Gallery at UConn, Storrs from March 20th - 25th. Funded by the UConn IDEA Grant, I spent the past academic year working on One World to Share, a series I proposed centered around cultural appropriation in opposition to appreciation.

One semester was spent interviewing my models and creating mock ups of the paintings. The other semester was spent painting while preparing for the exhibition. I finished seven paintings in total, which were accompanied by dresses I owned that helped inspire this project, and an interactive poster where viewers could write their own definition of cultural appreciation.

The day of the opening reception coincided with my birthday, March 20th. Turning 22 while presenting a year’s worth of dedicated work was gratifying. The reception was a success, with friends, family, peers, and mentors present.

In consideration of the occasion, I wore an ao dai, a Vietnamese dress while my models came wearing their own cultural garments. It was special to share culture, experiences, and discourse through my art.

I will continue working on this project! You can view the works in volume one here and the process videos on my instagram.