We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vivian Tran. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vivian below.

Alright, Vivian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I remember the summer following my junior year of high school. I was working on a painting of my mother and father. It was the first time I’ve ever painted them and I remember crying as I painted them. Our relationship was rough. We barely spoke to each other or tried to understand how the other would feel. We were not only separated by a generational divide, but one that was linguistic and cultural. So even if I had things to say, I could not say them exactly as I wanted to. But as I spent all-nighters painting through the summer in our living room, my parents would pass by their faces before going to work everyday. We were all alone in our minds and there was no way I’d ever be able to fully know what my parents were thinking or feeling, even if I wanted to. The distance that separated us was inevitable, but that is why we are able to connect in the first place. Almost seamlessly, my relationship with my parents grew much better after those paintings. It grew better after leaving for college too. Everything I’ve learned they seemed to pick up on, even if nothing was vocalized. As I worked on myself, they seemed to understand. And so, I realized something about my home. In the presence of someone eating heartily, everyone around them also starts to feel hungry. In the same way, I found that even without a shared language, the act of growing is not individual. When someone grows, the people around them do too. I used to focus a lot on myself, on introspection, how things made me feel — but I realized through the paintings that I did not exist in a bubble. I am a lot like my mother and father, and they are a lot like me. By looking at the world around me as subject matter, I am able to further understand myself and my place in the world. Art was a risk I took that has truly changed my life for the better. It has given me direction. So I believe in the power of art. I know it is real. That’s why I’m doing this.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an artist born and raised in Toronto, Canada. I’m currently working towards a BFA and BS in Cognitive Science at Tufts University, set to graduate in 2025. I’m grateful to attend university in another country on a full scholarship. There, I’ve been mostly working in video installation and sculpture. Rooted in my experience as a first-generation child of Vietnamese immigrants, my work attempts to reorient how we approach the everyday. Loneliness and longing are my favorite languages. I mostly use imagery of sunrises, sunsets, birds in flight, and shooting stars, exploring their potential as vessels for profound emotion and silent awe.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Yale Norfolk School of Art in 2023, where I was able to grow tremendously as an artist and person. It was my first residency experience and one I will never forget throughout my life. A year later, I spent the summer as a fellow at the Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency. There, I was able to meet incredible people who have taught me a lot about art as a career. Both of these experiences have allowed me to be a part of a community of amazing artists. It made me all the more certain I wanted to spend my life working in art.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

For most of my life, I felt that there was always pressure on me to succeed, being the first in my family to attend university. This made choosing a career in art all the more difficult, too. I am terrified of failing. I had high expectations for myself (I still do), but as an artist, you’re going to make work that won’t always be your strongest, no matter how much time you put into it. Whenever that happens, I get bummed out, believing that I failed.

I had a mentor tell me that I’ve already proven to myself that I can be capable if I set my mind to something. Honing that ability is what’s important. You learn so much from your weakest works. A bad work is not failure. Failure is not getting back up. Failure is running away. Failure is not trying again.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Some of my favorite novels are by Ruth Ozeki. In particular, “A Tale for the Time Being” and “The Book of Form and Emptiness.” Ozeki’s works are both beautifully written and speak a lot about the weight of being with family, of living in such a world today, and have inspired me to always try being present at any given moment. There is always so much to learn from things around us – we just have to pay attention.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://viviantran.ca
• Instagram: @viviantranart

Image Credits

Headshot: Eugene I-Peng Tang
Artwork: Vivian Tran