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About

Tam Van Tran’s abstract paintings, works on paper, ceramic sculptures, and mixed-media collages explore the language of painting and the natural world and the intersections of these with his Vietnamese heritage. His brightly colored and intricately textured works link his heritage with Western cultural traditions. Most recently, he is exploring the evocative possibilities of ceramic sculptures—masks, vessels, and glazed bricks—that reference the natural processes of environmental transformation and decay, migration and migratory patterns, and spiritual concepts—from meditation to Buddhism non-duality.

Van Tran works with organic materials like spirulina, chlorophyll, food, wood, and more traditional art materials such as linen and acrylic canvases. His free-standing ceramic sculptures are hand-built from many overlapping circular slabs of clay, textured and glazed in a matte white, their subtly aquatic forms suggesting plate armor or scales, the formal references oscillating between science fiction and ancient civilizations. Smaller works are more intimate and reference altars and other material manifestations of devotion.

At a moment where immigration and migration are daily topics of conversation and conflict, Van Tran’s quiet sculptures acknowledge these experiences and place deep value on those who migrate, whether by choice or necessity.

Tam Van Tran was born in 1966 in Kon Tum, Vietnam, and lives and works in Los Angeles. He graduated from the Pratt Institute in New York and studied Animation at the Graduate School of Film and Animation at the University of California Los Angeles.  He received the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painting and the Pollock Krasner Fellowship in 2001.

His work has been featured in solo museum exhibitions at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, TX; and the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville,TN.  His work has been included in group exhibitions including Carbon, Fellows of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Drawing: The Beginning of Everything, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Pattern: Follow the Rules, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Lansing, MI; east EX east, Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italy; the 2004 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Paul Clay, Salon 94, New York; Museum of Fine Art Houston, Houston, TX; the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, MA; the San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA; International Paper, UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; and in the Drawing Biennial at the Weatherspoon Art Gallery, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC.

His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; the ICA Boston, Boston, MA; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; among others.

Selected Works

This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Nocturne Crossing VII." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 15 ¹⁄₄" x 8" x 4" [HxWxD] (38.74 x 20.32 x 10.16 cm). Its medium is Stoneware sculpture on glazed terra cotta brick.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Nocturne Crossing VII,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Queen of Spring I." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 17" x 5" x 2 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (43.18 x 12.7 x 6.35 cm). Its medium is Stoneware sculpture on glazed terra cotta brick.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Queen of Spring I,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Primordial Sounds of the Avatars." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 27" x 27" x 25" [HxWxD] (68.58 x 68.58 x 63.5 cm). Its medium is Glazed stoneware.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Primordial Sounds of the Avatars,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "The Journey." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 15" x 8" x 4" [HxWxD] (38.1 x 20.32 x 10.16 cm). Its medium is Ceramic sculpture on glazed terra cotta brick.
Tâm Văn Trần
“The Journey,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "The Betrayal." This artwork was created in 2022-2024 and measures 13" x 10" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (33.02 x 25.4 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Glazed stoneware.
Tâm Văn Trần
“The Betrayal,” 2022-2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Border Crossers, Enter the Mandala Here II." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 18" x 13" x 11" [HxWxD] (45.72 x 33.02 x 27.94 cm). Its medium is Ceramic sculpture.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Border Crossers, Enter the Mandala Here II,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Songlines I." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 74" x 55 ³⁄₄" x 2 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (187.96 x 141.61 x 6.35 cm). Its medium is Staples, clay, zipper, acrylic, pencil on paper and canvas on wood panel.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Songlines I,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Songlines III." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 75" x 53 ¹⁄₂" x 2" [HxWxD] (190.5 x 135.89 x 5.08 cm); . Its medium is Staples, clay, zipper, acrylic, pencil on paper and canvas on wood panel.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Songlines III,” 2024
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Transformer II." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 18" x 5" x 3" [HxWxD] (45.72 x 12.7 x 7.62 cm). Its medium is Stoneware on glazed carved brick.
Tâm Văn Trần
"Transformer II", 2023
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Mother Shadowing I." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 27" x 26" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (68.58 x 66.04 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Staples, unfired and fired terracotta, pencil on paper canvas and balsa.
Tâm Văn Trần
"Mother Shadowing I", 2022
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Wind Horse." This artwork was created in 2022 and measures 23" x 19" x 21" [HxWxD] (58.42 x 48.26 x 53.34 cm). Its medium is Glazed stoneware.
Tâm Văn Trần
“Wind Horse,” 2022
This image depicts an artwork by Tam Van Tran titled "Divinations Jar ll." This artwork was created in 2019 and measures 23" x 19" x 20" [HxWxD] (58.42 x 48.26 x 50.8 cm). Its medium is High fire Ceramic.
Tâm Văn Trần
"Divinations Jar ll," 2019
Tâm Văn Trần: "The Radiance of Awareness I," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần
"The Radiance of Awareness I," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần:"Simple Folk Song," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần
"Simple Folk Song," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần: "Bodhisattva V," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần:
"Bodhisattva V," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần: "Slogan Vase III," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần
"Slogan Vase III," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần: "Ghosts IV," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần
"Ghosts IV," 2012
Tâm Văn Trần: "Refugees with Guiding Spirit," 2017
Tâm Văn Trần
"Refugees with Guiding Spirit," 2017
Tâm Văn Trần: "Untitled," 2008
Tâm Văn Trần
"Untitled," 2008
Tâm Văn Trần: "Untitled," 2008
Tâm Văn Trần
"Untitled," 2008
Tâm Văn Trần: "Beetle Manifesto III (path of no more learning)," 2002
Tâm Văn Trần
"Beetle Manifesto III (path of no more learning)," 2002

Exhibitions

Born in Kontum, Vietnam
Lives and works in Los Angeles
1996
Graduate Film and Television Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
1990
BFA Painting, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

Selected Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2024
"Primordial Sounds of the Avatar," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2017
"Black Melong," Ameringer, McEnery, Yohe, New York, NY
2015
"EXODUS," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
"Aikido Dream," MCA Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
"Breathing," Art Gallery, Long Beach City College, Long Beach, CA
2014
"Survival Skills," Anthony Meier Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA
2013
"Leaves of Ore," Ameringer, McEnery, Yohe, New York, NY
2012
"Adornment of Basic Space," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
2010
"Mind Is A Pure Expanse of Space," Anthony Meier Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2008
"Tam van Tran," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
"Luminosity," Cohan and Leslie, New York, NY
2006
"Tam Van Tran: Psychonaut, Blaffer Gallery, The Art Museum of the University of Houston, Houston, TX
"Purple System," Anthony Mier Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2005
"SubUrban: Tam Van Tran," Knoxville Museum, Knoxville, TN
2004
"Tam Van Tran: Lord of Hot Butter," Anthony Meier Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2003
"Vegetarian Summer", Cohan, Leslie and Browne, New York, NY
2002
"Beetle Manifesto", Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles, CA
"Lovers of Air," Leslie, Cohan and Browne, New York, NY
2001
"Lo-Tech Frequency," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2000
"Paintings," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles, CA
"Cold Frost," Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2022
"The Hand that Forms a Mirror," MORÁN MORÁN, Los Angeles, CA
"Plants Now!," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2020
"20 Years," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2018
“Carbon,” FOCA, Los Angeles, CA (Link)
2017
“Drawing: The Beginning of Everything,” Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
“Man Alive,” Maruani Mercier, Brussels, Belgium
2015
"Paperworks," Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2013
"New works of painting, photography, sculpture and video" The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami, FL
"High Low," Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
"Pattern: Follow the Rules," Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Lansing, MI; traveling to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Denver, CO
2012
"Tam Van Tran and DeWey Ambrosino," San Art, Vietnam
"Facing West/Looking East," Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA
2011
"Paul Clay," Salon 94, New York, NY
"east EX east," Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italy
2010
"Ascending Dragon: Contemporary Vietnamese Artists Exhibition," Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA
"Fresh from Chelsea," University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
"Inaugural Group Exhibition," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
"Keramik," Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA
2009
"Topographies," Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2008
"California Dreaming," Seiler + Mosseri-Marlio, Zurich, Switzerland
"Fata Morgana," Galerie Schmidt Maczollek, Cologne, France
2007
"Large Scale Drawings," MFA Houston, Houston, TX
"Nineteen Going on Twenty: Recent Acquisitions from the Collection of The Contemporary Museum," The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI
2006
"Supervision," Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Boston, MA
2005
"Around About Abstraction," Weatherspoon Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC
2004
"The Whitney Biennial," Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
"Topographies," San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA; Traveling to: The Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA (2004)
"Art on Paper," Weatherspoon Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC
2003
"International Paper," UCLA Hammer Museum, Santa Monica, CA
2002
ArtForum Berlin, Project Space, with Susanne Vielmetter Berlin Projects, Berlin, Germany
"Friends and Family," Lombard Freid, New York, NY
"Heike Kati Barath, Jeff Elrod, Sarah Rapson, Tam Van Tran, Cornelius Voelker, Clare Woods," Cohan, Leslie, and Browne, New York, NY
2001
"Fractals," Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
"New Work: LA Painting," Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco, CA
"Song Poems," Leslie, Cohan and Browne, New York, NY
2000
"Radar Love," Gallery Marabini, Bologna, Italy
"Car Pooling from LA," Asian American Art Center, New York, NY
"Luminous," Ikon Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA
"Pierogi 2000: The Flatfiles," Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Block Art Space, Kansas City Post, Los Angeles, CA
1999
"Other Paintings," Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA
1990
"Kassel Documenta Archiv," Ludwig Museum, Cologne, France
"Stuttgart Staatsgalerie," Grafische Sammlung, Germany

Bibliography

2022
Van Tran, Tam. "Abstraction," The Brooklyn Rail, July (Link)
2020
Gillespie, Benjamin. "Oral history interview with Tam Van Tran," Archives of American Art, August 8
2017
Shang, Danielle, “Collectors of Color on the Importance of Supporting Under-Recognized Artists,” Hyperallergic (web), November 28 (Link)
2016
Brown, Betty Ann, “Paperworks,” ArtScene, January
Donelan, Charles, “Tam Van Tran at MCASB: ‘Aikido Dream’ Emphasizes Intuition, Process,” Santa Barbara Independent (web), January 21
2015
Pereira, Lorenzo, "Tam Van Tran at Susanne Vielmetter Gallery," Widewalls, April 14 (Link)
Wood, Eve, "Pick of the Week: Tam Van Tran," Artillery, April 16 (Link)
Zellen, Jody, Tam Van Tran, ArtScene, May
Osborne-Bartucca, Kristen, Tam Van Tran at Susanne Vielmetter Projects, ArteFuse Magazine, May 21
McCabe Heibel, Amy, Artists Respond: Tam Van Tran on Ed Moses, UnFramed (web), July 27 (Link)
2014
Baker, Kenneth, Tam Van Tran at Anthony Meier, SF Gate, November 21 (Link)
2013
Gass, Alison, Pattern: Follow the Rules, Eli and Edythe Broad Museum at Michigan State University, March
Kee, Joan, Abstraction: Here, Now, More, Harpers Bazaar, Hong Kong Edition, May, pp. 44-45
2012
Pagel, David, Tam Van Tran at Susan Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles Times, March 15
Wood, Eve, Tam Van Tran at Susan Vielmetter, Whitehot Magazine, March
Tuck, Geoff, Tam Van Tran at Susan Vielmetter, Notes On Looking, March 21
2009
Pagel, David, Glimpses of the future or past?, Los Angeles Times, January 16
San Jose Museum of Art Unveils New Works by Tam Van Tran, Artdaily.org, October
2008
Haithman, Diane, CFF art foundation announced: Fifteen LA County artists receive grants to continue pursuits in various creative fields, Los Angeles Times, May 30
2007
Holographic Ensemble, Art On Paper, Vol. 11, No. 4, March/April
2006
Sultan, Terrie, Tam Van Tran: Psychonaut, exhibition catalogue, Blaffer Gallery, The Art Museum of the University of Houston, Houston, TX
Hudson, Suzanne. Tam Van Tran. Artforum, January
Cotter, Holland, Ambitious Theme in New Home for Modern Art, New York Times, December 8
Ouroussoff, Nicolai, Expansive Vistas Both Inside And Out, New York Times, December 8
Shanahan, Mark, New Institute of Contemporary Art makes a `very, very cool` impression, The Boston Globe, December 3
2005
Self, Dana, "SubUrban: Tam Van Tran, exhibition essay, Knoxville Museum of Art (catalog).
2004
Whitney Biennial Catalog Essay, Pg.248
DeCarlo, Tessa, "It's a Jungle in There" - Working Habits, ARTnews, pg. 126,
Martin, Philip, "Tam Van Tran - Beetle Manifesto - Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects," Ten By Ten Magazine, pg. 56, 57, Volume 2, Number 3, February issue
2003
Smith, Roberta, The New York Times, October 10
Hiro, Rika, Bijutsu Techo Magazine, pg. 164, July
Martin, Philip, "international paper", Tema Celeste 97, May issue
Frank, Peter, "The Paper Chase", art on paper, April issue, pg 36-39
Koppman, Debra, "International Paper", Artweek, February
Helfand, Glen, "Cries and Whispers", Bay Area Reporter, February 20
Laird, Tessa, "Tam Van Tran / Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects", ART ON PAPER, March issue
Worman, Alex, "L.A. Confidential", artnet, February
Knight, Christopher, "Drawing, not toeing, the line", LOS ANGELES TIMES, February 7
"International Paper - Drawings by Emerging Artists", UCLA Hammer Museum, exhibition catalog, Los Angeles, CA, 2003
2002
Wood, Eve, Static Breathing, Artnet, December
Knight, Christopher, "Piecing Together a Green Manifesto", LOS ANGELES TIMES, December 6
Muchnic, Suzanne, "With all its hang-ups, the L.A. gallery scene thrives, LOS ANGELES TIMES, Sunday Calendar, November 24
ArtScene, December Preview, November 25
TRACE Magazine, issue #36, page 66
Duncan, Michael, "Tam Van Tran at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects", ART IN AMERICA, January issue
2001
Williams, Alena, "Tam Van Tran - Susanne Vielmetter LA Projects", TEMA CELESTE, May-June issue, pg. 88
Hackman, Kate, KANSAS CITY STAR, February
Pagel, David, LOS ANGELES TIMES, February 16
2000
Pasquini, Stefano, NYARTS, December
Schoenkopf, Rebecca, OC WEEKLY, November 3 - 9
Pagel, David, LOS ANGELES TIMES, July 28, 2000
Frank, Peter, LA WEEKLY Pick of the Week, July 21 - 27
Harvey, Doug, "Tam Van Tran / Vielmetter LA Projects", ART ISSUES, summer 2000 issue
Pagel, David, "Tam Van Tran / Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects", LOS ANGELES TIMES, Friday, March 10
Duncan, Michael, ARTNET, April
Rosenberg, Jeremy, LA TIMES CALENDAR LIVE ARTPICK, March ARTSCENE, Vol. 19 No.8, April

Awards, Grants and Fellowships

2008
California Community Foundation Fellowship
Art Matters, Spring, Grantee
2001
Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painting
Pollock Krasner Fellowship
1993
Ucross Artists Residency, Ucross, WI
1991
Creative Fellowship in the Visual Arts, Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities

Public Collections

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
The Broad, Los Angeles, CA
California State University Art Gallery, Long Beach, CA
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
Museum of Contempoary Art Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
The Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY