Tommy Nguyen
Born in California and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
Education
2015 MFA Visual Studies and Emerging Practices, Department of Art, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2010 BA Studio Art with Highest Distinction, Visual Studies SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2006 MA, History, University of Toronto (withdrawn), Toronto, ON
2005 BA, Cum Laude Philosophy Thomistic Center at the University of Saint Thomas, Houston, TX
2004 MIB, Cameron School of Business at the University of Saint Thomas (withdrawn), Houston, TX
Performances
2020 Punkititit, video, animation, shadow puppet design, props, designed and directed by Doug Fitch, co-written with Steve Greco, co-directed by James Smith, music adapted from Amadeus W. Mozart by Florian Veileitner performed by POI Pool of Invention and The Salzburg Marionette Theatre with lead actor Geoff Sobelle, artistic director Barabara Heuberger, Mozart Woche festival artistic director Rolando Villazon, Salzburg, AU
2020-2017 NYPhil VYPC Very Young People’s Concerts, directed by Doug Fitch, lead performer Rebecca Young with story and concepts by Amy Leffert, performed with members of the New York Philharmonic, Merkin Hall, New York, NY
2019 Le Grand Macabre, videos and animation, directed by Doug Fitch with artistic director Alan Gilbert, El Philharmonie, Hamburg, DE
2019 Yesss!, House of Yes, costume designer, concept and direction by Seth Larson, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Orphee, props and construction, directed by Zach Winokur, designed by Doug Fitch, produced by Anthony Roth Costanzo and Cath Britain, Master Voices, Rose Theater Lincoln Center, New York, NY
2018 New York Lyric Opera Summer Program Recital, costume design, directed by Elizabeth Heuerman, Weill Recital Hall Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
2018 Die Zauberflote, costume design with Sophia Andreyev, directed by Elizabeth Hastings, New York Lyric Opera, Bruno Walter Auditorium Lincoln Center, New York, NY
2018 Hansel and Gretel, costume design, directed by Malena Dayen, New York Lyric Opera, Soca Concert Hall, New York, NY
2018 La Nozze di Figaro, costume design, Soca Concert Hall, New York Lyric Opera, New York, NY
2018 Acis and Galatea, lead set construction and logistics, directed by Christopher Alden, designed by Paul Tate Depoo III, produced by Anthony Roth Costanzo and Cath Britain, National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
2018 620 Outrageous, costume design and props, directed and designed by Doug Fitch, music composed by Daniel David Thomas, libretto by Adam Frank adapted from the writings of Gertrude Stein, curated by Victoria Bond, Symphony Space, New York, NY
2017 Hary Janos Suite, animation, props, costumes, directed by Doug Fitch, University of Maryland Orchestra, Collegeville, MD
2017 La Voix Humaine, shadow puppeteer and props, directed by Doug Fitch, conductor and co-director David Levi, Teraube Opera Festival, Teraube, FR
2017 Ami and Tami, set, costume and prop design, directed by Doug Fitch, created and composed by Matti Kovler, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, GB
2017 Ami and Tami, set, costume and prop design, directed by Doug Fitch, created and composed by Matti Kovler, Turn Park Summer Workshop, West Stockbridge, MA
2017 Ami and Tami, set and costume design, directed by Doug Fitch, created and composed by Matti Kovler, Blue Building, New York, NY
2016Die Ilias, puppet design, Landestheater Salzburg, Salzburg, AUSTRIA
2016 Drumpf, stage setting, directed by Doug Fitch, created by Matti Kovler, Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY
2016 Drumpf, stage setting, directed by Doug Fitch, created by Matti Kovler, Blue Building, New York, NY
2016 Pictures at an Exhibition, puppets, props, co-costume design, directed and performed with Doug Fitch and Andy Manjuck, performed by Inon Barnatan, Town Center, New York, NY
2016 Orphic Moments, set carpenter and costume construction, curated by Anthony Roth Costanzo directed by Douglas Fitch, National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Gloria a Pig’s Tale, costume design and props, directed by Doug Fitch, NY Philharmonic Biennial at the Metropolitan Art Museum, New York, NY
Exhibtions
2020
Performance, curated by Will Owen, Reykjavik, IS
Fellows, curated by Manon Bursian, Kunstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, Halle, DE
2019
Centennial, performance, Mies van de Rohe Bauhaus Museum, Berlin, DE
Festuge, performance, Institut for X, Aarhus, DK
Aros Pulbic, curated by Ole Ulle Aros, Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, DK
Viktor & Charley, Clearsight Gallery, New York, NY
JoyClub, curated by Jaimes Iglehart, Platform, Vaasa, FI
Celebration, performance, curated by Cecile Chong, Dedalus Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
2018
Aros Public, curated by Maj Hosjev, Aros Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, DK
Plastics, Museum of Geology, Auckland, NZ
2017
Winter Workspace Public, curated by Gabriel de Guzman, Jennifer MacGregor, and Tracy Fenix, Glyndor Gallery, Bronx, NY
Light as a Feather/Stiff as a Board, curated by Dana Tyrell, Dreamland and Sugar City, Buffalo, NY
APB, Northhampton Center Gallery, Northhampton, MA
2016
Flux Auction, Hunter MFA Gallery, New York, NY
Collections, curated by Gerald Mead, Broad Center Gallery, Rochester, NY
Villus, curated by Will Owen, Little Berlin, Philadelphia, PA
Turbografx 16, curated by Brian Chang, El Museo, Buffalo, NY
Destination Moon, Woodstock, NY
Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood, Giants are Small, New York, NY
Paris Heart LOVE, collaboration with Adam, Paris, FRANCE
Rubber Pleasure, Flux Factory, Long Island City, NY
2015
me PLUSH you long time vol. 5(park), curated by Tanis Winslow, ArtPark Gallery, Lewiston, NY
Superbotch!, curated by Dana McKnight, Dreamland, Buffalo, NY
me PLUSH you long time vol. 4(a domestic), Decorator’s Show House, Buffalo, NY
me PLUSH you long time vol. 3(indecent exposure), Dreamland, Buffalo, NY
me PLUSH you long time vol. 2(a hazard to public safety), Trimania, Buffalo, NY
PIMA, Clash House, Brooklyn, NY
Covers, 660 Projects, Buffalo, NY
You Are In Every Future, curated by Jax Deluca, performed with Flatsitter, poems by Noah Falchak. Squeaky Wheel, Buffalo, NY
Bring to Light, curated by Michael Beam, Niagara Falls, NY
Amid/in, curated by John Massier, Kyle Butler, and Rebecca Wing, Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY
me PLUSH you long time vol. 1(home), Buffalo Arts Studio, Buffalo, NY
Han Kjøbenhavn, Copenhagen Fashion Week, Copenhagen, DENMARK
2014
The Medium is the Monster, Department of Art Lower Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Pigeon Terror x Lesionread, Dreamland 2, Buffalo, NY
PLUSH performance Creative Conversation, Buffalo Arts Studio, Buffalo, NY
Living Legacy, Joanne Angie Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Echo Art Fair, Erie Central Library, Buffalo, NY
Peace T, Reykjavik, ICELAND
Budaunga, Textilsetur Islands, Blondous, ICELAND
Ruslid Symposium, NES Artist Residency Listamod, Skagastrond, ICELAND
Hiroshima X Reykjivak, Biopol Harbor, Skagastrond, ICELAND (installation and performance in collaboration with Adam Hatsu-Shin)
Summer We Go Public, NES Artist Residency Listamod, Skagastrond, ICELAND
American Hero Kościuszko, University of Warsaw Gallery, Warsaw, POLAND (digital collage in collaboration with Harvey Breverman)
Zurich Meets New York, Whitebox Art Gallery, New York, NY
DADAbomb, The Box Gallery, New York, NY
It’s Not Me It’s You, Visual Studies Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Eugene Gaier Award Then and Now, Visual Studies Lower Gallery, Buffalo, NY
In Plush We Trust, Visual Studies Lower Gallery, Buffalo, NY (performance and music composition in collaboration with Jeffery Sherven, Phillip Koperski and Tommy and Friends)
A Midwinter Night’s Draw, Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY
2013
City of Night, Silo City, Buffalo, NY
Beyond the Barrel, Niagara Art Centre, Niagara Falls, NY
Polaris, Niagara Art Centre, Niagara Falls, NY
Werk, Cosmopolitan Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2012
Mass Appeal Wearable Art, Elmwood Fashion Week, Buffalo, NY
Monster 3.0, 464 Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Emergence Creative Conversation, cur. Rich Tomasello, Buffalo Arts Studio, Buffalo, NY
Robot 2.1, Blink Gallery, Buffalo, NY
City of Night, Silo City, Buffalo, NY
Spark, 464 Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Chroma Pride, Blink Gallery, Buffalo, NY
One/der, Cosmopolitan Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Emergence/Convergence, Avant Building, Building, NY
Emerging Leaders in the Arts of Buffalo Members Show, 464 Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2011
Monster, 464 Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Robot, Blink Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Show, 145 Gallery, Saint Catharines, CA
2010
The Dead Don’t Dance, 464 Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Great Lakes Drawing Biennial, Ford Gallery, Ypsilanti, MI
Winter Patterns, College Street Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Colorgraphia, Center for the Arts, Buffalo, NY
2009
Le Croc, Center for the Arts, Buffalo, NY
2006
New Artists Exhibition, Arman Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Awards and Residencies
2019
Aros Public Artist in Residence
Kunstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt Fellow and Artist in Residence
2018
Aros Public Artist in Residence
2017
Wave Hill Artist in Residence
2016
Flux Factory Artist in Residence
2015
Buffalo Arts Studio Artist in Residence
2014
NES Artist Residency Listamod
Ohio State University Academic Grant
2010
Eugene A. Gaier Award for Excellence in Drawing University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2004
Women’s Guild Academic Scholarship, University of Saint Thomas, Houston, TX
1999
University of Saint Thomas Merit Scholarship, Houston, TX