Hien Kat Nguyen is an artist and finisher based in Richmond, Virginia, born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Working in sculpture and installation, they explore their experiences as a Vietnamese immigrant in the United States through references to Vietnamese folklore, 2010s Saigon culture, and 1980s Americana.
Their practice combines fine woodworking and bamboo craftsmanship with industrial techniques such as power carving, plastic casting, powder coating, and cabinetry, using labor as a lens to examine identity and personal growth.
Nguyen has attended residencies at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Penland School of Craft, and Peters Valley School of Craft, and is a recipient of the Windgate–Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft and the Undergraduate Fellowship in Sculpture from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. They earned a BFA in Sculpture + Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Hien Kat Nguyen 