Arts & Entertainment
The World of Troung Tien Nguyen
An exhibit of oil paintings by the Hoffman Fabrics artist behind designs for Stussy, Volcom and other surf brands
For many, visiting Halong Bay in North Vietnam feels like falling into the pages of a fairy book. The hundreds of lushly vegetated limestone islands and sea stacks at this UNESCO World Heritage Site present an otherwordly sensation. Like many artists under Halong Bay’s spell, Hue Nguyen felt compelled to capture a facet of its mystical qualities and stunning beauty.
Share his fascination for Halong Bay and other natural wonders at “The World of Troung Tien Nguyen,” an exhibit of oil paintings taking place Nov. 3-4 at Nguoi Viet Gallery, 14771 Moran St., Westminster (off Bolsa Avenue between Magnolia and Bushard streets).
Nguyen is a textile artist for Mission Viejo-based manufacturer Hoffman Fabrics, his employer of 40 years. Over the decades, Nguyen’s hand-drawn and hand-painted artwork was developed and produced as textiles sold to garment manufacturers for the creation of men's tropical- and novelty-print shirts. He contributed to what is referred to as the “authentic Hoffman look” in designs for surf brands like Volcom, Roxy, O’Neill and Stussy.
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Other scenes of Vietnam’s natural beauty will be featured in “The World of Troung Tien Nguyen,” as the artist visited his home country earlier this year. Nguyen also plied his naturalist painter eye in landscapes of Utah, Wyoming and Arizona, as well as florals and seascapes.
He has painted all his life; however, was forced to abandon formal studies at the National School of Decorative Arts in Gia Dinh just before the Fall of Saigon. In a December 2015 article, Nguyen explained to Los Angeles Times writer Kathleen Luppi that he and his wife, Diep, and their 5-year-old son, Le, were fortunate to have been among the groups of refugees that the Lutheran Church helped bring to the U.S.
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A reception for the artist will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. The show continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. All proceeds from sales of paintings will be donated to Smile Train (smiletrain.org), which repairs cleft lips/palates of needy children around the world. Nguyen is a longtime contributor to Smile Train.
For more information, call the Nguoi Viet gallery at (714) 892-9414 or the artist at (714) 839-2450 the artist.
