Kieu Tran

I’m still a bit in disbelief that my first museum exhibition, Personal Archaeology with @kacy_jung , opened last week. As some of you may know, I have been doing ceramics quite seriously as a hobby for about 10 years. What started as a meditative wheel practice where I made functional objects(teapot girly) to cope with the stress of being a fresh, anxious self taught software engineer in a male dominated industry, turned into a way for me to process my emotions in an abstract sculptural language — in a grounding tactile material. When I discovered sculpture and began to understand what very simple forms could communicate more than words could achieve, I was hooked. This January will mark 3 years since I made the decision to quit my job as a software engineer and see if I could be an artist. And it turns out, I can. 🥺 Thank you so much to @lorenzzo.gonz and @thebmoa for your vision, and for including me in this impactful lineup of artists. I truly think this Fall Programming of Asian American artists(@kacy_jung @junyarts @bryanida #chiuraobata ) challenges the often very Western lens of what is considered Asian American art and showcases just how diverse it is and can be. Thank you to my wonderful husband @its_rramon for his unwavering support in all my wild career transitions and for never telling me something is out of reach. Special thanks to my dear collectors, especially those who lent work to the show, and for everyone who has supported me along this journey. I appreciate every comment, conversation and face I see at my shows. You have my deepest gratitude! Thank you so much for believing in me. It means everything. I’m looking forward to gathering my thoughts and sharing more about the work in this show and speak to showing alongside the other incredible artists in this unbelievable context. Kacy Jung and Kieu Tran: Personal Archaeology on view until January 6th @thebmoa

So excited to share this show with you! Thanks to everyone who has already visited! 🥺 Sacred Spaces is now on view @maybaumgallery until the end of March. Don’t miss it! Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10:30 am - 5:30 pm “Movement and connection are at the heart of the new sculptures from Kieu Tran. Rendered in bronze and ceramic in contrasting black and white tones, these three dimensional amorphous shapes successfully reference both the human figure and its spirit. While the abstracted figures are standalone sculptures, when viewed in their respective pairs, a shared visual language emerges. Made in relationship to each other, Tran’s forms speak to the sacred space created between people in relationship to each other, whether in friendship or in love. Referencing the joy of dance and the elemental acts of the body, the works counter the recent social isolation of the pandemic and point to the hope, possibility and generative energy in the essential act of being together. What results is a language of community and togetherness shared in the landscape of these forms, a celebration of sacred space in the brevity of a moment or a lifetime.”

Excited to finally share this special film about what being an artist means to me and upcoming exhibition with you! ✨ Sacred Spaces is a dedication to friendship. This landscape of joyful, dancing forms rendered in ceramic and bronze share the language of community and togetherness. This new work is a celebration of the sacred spaces we create with one another, in friendship, in love, in the brevity of a moment or lifetime. Come see these dancing forms at my upcoming exhibition Sacred Spaces @maybaumgallery March 1-31st. Artist Reception: March 2nd, 5-7pm. It was such a wonderful and eyeopening experience to be able to collaborate with another artist in a new medium. Thanks @danmackart for this opportunity and coming to my studio to record this in the evenings! 🎥🙏🏼

On My Knees Private collection 📸 @ashleybatz

#ad Being an artist helps me appreciate when function meets beauty. When creating my sculptures, I use experience and intuition to translate the beauty I see in the world into form. I recently had the pleasure of driving the fully electric Volvo XC40. Not only does it have a balance of form and function, with everything I need to prepare for my next exhibition, it’s also thoughtfully designed like a sculpture. As an artist, I was immediately captivated by the unique translucent, back-lit 3-dimensional decor inspired by Scandinavian topography. It creates a sensory interior light experience you can enjoy when you can’t make it to the museum. The XC40 also features an exclusive gear shifter, made out of genuine, solid crystal by Swedish glass artisans at Orrefors®. Thank you @volvocarusa for helping me prepare for my next show with ease and style. #VolvoXC40 📹 @danmackart

Joy fuels resilience. A reminder to myself that it’s ok to slow down and reconnect with myself and friends. 💕

After 2 years, I’m thrilled to finally be reunited with my marble sculptures from Italy! I attended the @digitalstoneproject  two summers ago where I was able to translate originally sculpted works of mine into large marble works in a month. I combined 3D scans of two original ceramic sculptures and altered them digitally to create a new dialogue between the forms. They intentionally intersect. The sculptures were rough milled by robots at @garfagnanainnovazione  before I did the hand finishing. The robot assistance facilitated by my digital stone residency allowed me to pursue a larger, more complex project in marble which would have required years of training to do by hand alone. I was also astounded by how I could still see my hand and curves in the forms despite them being robotically carved. It felt like a true translation. The result of the two forms displayed apart, with the imprint of one on the other, creates a tension and sense of longing that is inspired by the inexplicable gravitational pull we have to others, friendly and romantic. The two forms yearn to be connected and consumed with one another. When they finally stood my sculptures up, I started crying uncontrollably. I was overwhelmed by the full power of the forms and the tension between them. They were my forms that I had made previously but the mass of the solid marble added such a gravity and imposing presence that I wasn’t anticipating. I cried tears of joy not only because they were beautiful, but because making my work in marble at this scale gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. Hearing encouraging comments from the other artists only made me cry more because I definitely came to this residency with a bit of imposter syndrome. 😭 Never did I dream that within a year and a half of quitting my job to figure out how to be a full time artist that I would be in Italy carving marble amongst so many talented professionals. I’m so grateful to have the support and agency to go after the most ludicrous dreams. Thank you so much for all your continued support! 🙏🏼🥺

“Spark” is back in my studio. 🥺 It’s bigger than I remember. I almost dropped it once trying to record a reel. 😄 I believe “Spark” is a talisman to encourage me to keep believing in myself when I’m feeling uncertain about the future. I’m searching for something new in the studio right now, a spark to ignite the 🔥. This form has been comforting and reminds me to keep following my dreams and keep the spark alive! It’s been a much needed beacon in my studio lately. 🎇 Available. DM to inquire. 🤍 📸 @ashleybatz

Searching for this feeling of peace and purpose again. This pair of sculptures represents to me two things that I am constantly trying to keep in balance when I’m trying to achieve new goals in my life. But I’m realizing it’s also two mindsets I need for when I don’t have a clear goal. A very scary place for a Capricorn! ‘Letting Go’(white patina) is inspired by the ease and beauty of existing in the present and letting go of things that hold you back. It’s a reminder to let go of things that no longer serve you. Embrace new dreams, embrace change, but also embrace not knowing what the future holds. ‘Tuned In’(black patina) exudes a gravity and sense of focus one needs to achieve goals. When you’re tuned in, you’re aware and responsive to the things that matter most and are able to shift and navigate with intention and direction. I’ve been looking at these in my studio daily and they’ve been a good reminder that I need to let go of expectations to eventually tune in. 🖤🤍 Available. DM to inquire! Letting Go 2022 (Edition 1/9) bronze with white patina on black granite base 24.5 x 16 x 7.5 inches Tuned In 2022 (Edition 1/9) bronze with black patina on black granite base 26 x 14 x 7.5 inches

Been thinking about this sculpture from 2021 a lot. That was the year I quit my tech job. This solo show BLOOM happened later that year and it was about the multitude of conflicting emotions around quitting a stable job to pursue a more fulfilling path. “Journey” is inspired by life’s journey. It attempts to capture how starting is the hardest part of any journey, but the steps are there. You just have to start, and simply focus on the next step. This work reminds you to focus on and fall in love with the journey, instead of where you end up. I’m in transitional phase in my practice right now and I’m not sure where I’m headed. Sometimes I feel like I’m not taking steps forward but this sculpture is a good reminder to just keep taking a step. Trying to remind myself that meandering is not always aimless. In the grander scheme of life, it’s always about the journey and not the destination. Journey lives in a private collection in Hong Kong. 🥺💖 📸 by @dianarothery

🤍 Me and “Sacred Spaces” 🤍 📸 @ashleybatz

Process. Experiencing my work at this scale is really special. I feel like I really get to activate the work as I engage with the openings, thread my body through, and caress the beings. Really enjoyed making this one. All coils are hand rolled by me. Flow, 2024