Meet Tran Nguyen | Freelance Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tran Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tran, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks can be daunting, whether it’s an artistic or business risk. With illustration, my job is to visually problem-solve, but I also have to try new and creative ways to approach the narrative. It requires me to constantly experiment with new ideas and explore techniques that I’m not familiar with. The same goes for my freelance business. Risks are needed so that my business has the opportunity to grow and cross pollinate into other markets. Fortunately, most of the risks I’ve taken have benefited my career. I think it’s important to self-analyze your current situation and pinpoint the level of risks you should take. Sometimes, a low risk investments is what I need while other times, it’s better to go all in.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a freelance artist most known for my softly rendered paintings of whimsical women and their melancholic dreamscapes. My paintings are made with delicate strokes of acrylic and colored pencil on paper, and often possess an air of fantasy and surrealism. I illustrate for published media, creating book and magazine covers, as well as brand packaging. I’ve worked with clients such as VH1, Amazon, Smithsonian magazine, Bloomberg, and Netflix. I’ve also exhibited with galleries across the world, creating original works of art for purchase. Recently, I’ve ventured into the street art scene and have painted large-scale murals in Hawaii, China, and California.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d take them to all the amazing Asian restaurants on Buford Highway/Doraville. I’d stuff them with delicious Korean BBQ, Vietnamese dishes like pho and bun bo hue, and authentic Japanese cuisine. There are a lot of wonderful cafes there as well where we can continue to stuff our faces with milk tea, ice cream and other Asian desserts.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family’s my source of support and inspiration. My parents struggled and worked for decades so that I could have the opportunity to move to the States, go to college, and pursue my artistic dreams.

Website: www.mynameistran.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mynameistran
Twitter: www.twitter.com/my_name_is_tran
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mynameistran
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/mynameistran
Other: patreon.com/mynameistran