Tam Van Tran

While Vietnamese-born artist Tam Van Tran consistently works in abstraction, he continues to surprise us with his use of unconventional materials. Although Tran regularly employs traditional mediums, such as acrylic paint, linen, and paper, he also introduces the unexpected: manmade elements such as aluminum foil and Cool Whip converge with natural elements such as beets, saffron, and chlorophyll.

Van Tran immigrated to the US towards the end of the Vietnam War. Although he earned a BFA in New York City, he bucked art world convention by earning an advanced degree from the Graduate Film and Television Program at the University of California. Van Tran's work reflects his multimedia educational experience, his interest in the moving image, and his fascination with the transience of the material and immaterial worlds.