We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ngoc-Tran Vu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ngoc-Tran below.
Ngoc-Tran, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
A significant and meaningful project is one I am working on at the moment actually titled “1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Healing Project.”
2025 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the emergence of a significant Vietnamese Diaspora. My project will reclaim and amplify narratives on the impact of war and pay trauma-informed homage to the families and communities flung far from their homeland. 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Healing Project pays homage to the families and communities impacted by the war in Vietnam and will result in a permanent memorial in Boston’s Little Saigon district as a site of recognition and celebration of the Vietnamese and greater Southeast Asian diaspora, remembrance, and healing of their long journeys away from the homeland. The permanent memorial will incorporate designs and materials from Vietnam, forging a connection between the installation in Boston and Vietnam while engaging with the local community in Boston throughout the process. My vision for the project is to build a permanent, public reminder of the Vietnamese diaspora’s connection to the homeland, honor and remember the journeys of everyone who left Vietnam to settle in Boston, and spark connections between and among generations about what it means to be Vietnamese American.
Amidst the ongoing pandemic, trauma and violence in our country, I think it’s more important than ever to engage in healing on trauma, grief, and loss collectively. Healing is an essential part of liberation within our communities that have to be embedded in order to be truly sustainable. It’s about ensuring communities and individuals can sustain us for the long run — to heal and continue in the journey forward. Monuments and memorials have been used, since the earliest times, to celebrate heroes of the societies. In recent times, in our cities and towns, these are dominated by bronze statues on pedestals of generals and politicians, and of soldiers in war memorials. My project will be different. Instead of honoring people who participated in battles, I am paying homage to the families and communities impacted by war and migration. The Vietnam War ended more than 47 years ago yet its legacy still remains for many community members in Dorchester, particularly Vietnamese Americans.
Ngoc-Tran, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a storyteller, facilitator and interpreter. My work evokes themes of familial ties, memories, and rituals amongst issues of social justice and intersectionality. As a first generation Vietnamese American, interdisciplinary artist whose socially engaged work draws from my background as an organizer, educator, and healer, I am passionate about creating spaces and platforms for cross-cultural storytelling and critical discourse that challenge inequity.
Born in Vietnam, I came to the United States with my family as political refugees and grew up in Dorchester and South Boston’s working-class neighborhoods. I thread my social practice through photography, painting, and sculpture so that my art can resonate and engage audiences with intentionality. My experiences as a person of color working with communities inside, outside and beyond the United States have informed my framing of realities, visions and possibilities. My deepest influences include my family and friends as well as fellow artists and changemakers from the past, present, and beyond.
Trained as a multimedia artist and community organizer, I am committed to working with grassroots groups, especially when it comes to sustainable engagement and generative programming. I am driven to co-create, support and protect the stories and experiences with communities of color, refugees and immigrants. Through active participation and holistic facilitation, I aim to offer new modes of resistance to interrogate and counteract the dominant narrative. I am particularly invested in the intersections of storytelling, cultures, and activism, spotlighting those who are willing to step out of bounds to advance social change. In my own healing journey, I am continuously exploring and unpacking themes of identity, justice, belonging and power.
As a creative committed to communities and social justice, my passion and background on projects and initiatives have equipped me in being an effective lead artist in trust-based partnerships. Furthermore, my experiences working in local and national collaborative spaces along with my artistic experiences and networks demonstrate my ability to actively take part in a wide range of tasks, audiences and issues.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
There are several key ways society can better support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem. First, I believe we need to foster and sustain an anti-capitalistic and anti-racist culture that values and respects artistic work. This involves acknowledging art as not just a hobby or luxury, but a vital form of expression, communication, and social commentary. It’s crucial to understand the time, effort, and creativity that goes into producing art and to compensate artists fairly for their work.
Secondly, we need to create more opportunities for artists and creatives to share their work with the public. This could involve funding for public art projects, support for galleries and exhibition spaces, and opportunities for artists to engage with the community through workshops, talks, and activities. etc. Finally, we must ensure that the arts and cultural sector is truly inclusive, accessible, and representative of our multicultural society in the US. This means actively working to break down barriers and create opportunities for artists from under-recognized groups such as BIPOC, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+, and those from cash-poor backgrounds.
As a socially engaged artist, I’ve found immense value in community collaboration and engagement. I believe that when artists, community members, and institutions come together with clear goals and alignments, we can create a vibrant and resilient creative ecosystem that reflects and enriches our collective cultural life.”
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My creative journey is driven by a mission to use art as a tool for social engagement and change. I believe in the power of art to challenge perceptions, ignite conversations, and bring communities together. As an artist and organizer, I aim to create work that bridges cultural and societal gaps. I am deeply invested in exploring themes of race, immigration, and identity, informed by my personal experiences as a Vietnamese-American immigrant. I want my work to highlight the stories and experiences of marginalized communities, particularly immigrants and people of color, that are often overlooked or misrepresented.
I’m also deeply committed to community engagement. For me, art is not a solitary endeavor, but a collaborative one. I aim to create projects that not only express my personal vision, but also involve and resonate with the communities I work within. I believe in the power of collaboration and strive to create spaces where dialogue, understanding, and empathy can flourish. In essence, my goal is to create art that informs, engages, and inspires. I want to challenge assumptions, break down barriers, and contribute to creating a more inclusive, understanding society. Through my creative journey, I hope to highlight the transformative power of art and community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tranvuarts.com/
- Instagram: @TranVuArts
- Twitter: @TranVuArts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THaDXXqHTXE
- Other: https://linktr.ee/tranvuarts
Image Credits
Photo of me in yellow shirt and earrings is by Virginia Sutherland. Photo of group photo in front of mural is by Linh Pham. Photo of group and me in strip outfit holding a booklet is by Harold Than. Photo of me holding a dragon is by Heather Henriksen. All other photos are by courtesy of artist Ngoc-Tran Vu.
Top photo by Nikolai Alexander