BIO.
Thương Hoài Trần was born in Tây Ninh, Vietnam and raised in Emporia, Kansas. Being a Vietnamese immigrant, this part of their identity informs and influences their interdisciplinary art practice. They hold a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, and an MFA from the School of Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL.
Creating has become a method of self-discovery, learning, and healing. Most of their artwork features a level of distortion or fragmentation. In their recent works, they have been examining the process of weaving, disassembling clothes made in Vietnam, and recreating family photographs to learn more about their origin. This process becomes an approach of connecting to her heritage, paying homage, and filling in the gaps created through various barriers such as language, displacement, generational disconnect, and cultural complexities.
Most recently, Hoài Trần was selected as a fellowship recipient for the Residency Program at MASS MoCA and have an upcoming group exhibition at SOMArts in San Francisco, CA. Their work has been exhibited at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art (Greensburg, PA), Janet Turner Print Museum (Chico, CA), Center for Craft (Asheville, NC), and Research House for Asian Art (Chicago, IL) to name a few.
CURRICULUM VITAE.
EDUCATION
2022 Master of Fine Arts, School of Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago, IL
2020 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Summa Cum Laude, Emporia State University (ESU), Emporia, KS
WORK EXPERIENCE
2023 - Present Exhibition Manager, Art and Media Specialist, SAIC Galleries, Chicago, IL
2022 - 2023 Gallery Technician, SAIC & SITE Galleries, Chicago, IL
2021-2022 Graduate Gallery Install Assistant, SAIC Galleries, Chicago, IL
2021-2022 Printmedia Social Media Coordinator, SAIC Printmedia Department, Chicago, IL
2020 Gallery Assistant, Art Department, ESU, Emporia, KS
2017 Lead Graphic Designer, Center for Student Involvement, ESU, Emporia, KS
2016 Graphic Designer, Diversity Student Programs, ESU, Emporia, KS
2015 Multicultural Student Assistant, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ESU, Emporia, KS
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2022 Teaching Assistant, Screenprinting, Faculty: Maddie May, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL
2022 Teaching Assistantship, Lithography: Expanded Practice, Faculty: Brian Joseph Rush, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Teaching Assistantship, Artists’ Books, Faculty: Myungah Hyon, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Teaching Assistantship, Offset Productions, Faculty: Conor Stechschulte, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Teaching Assistantship, Deep Risography, Faculty: Conor Stechschult, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Teaching Assistantship, Multiple Studios, Faculty: Jess Giffin. SAIC, Chicago, IL
2020 Teaching Assistantship, Digital/Traditional Routes: Painting & Printmedia, Faculty: Sterling Lawrence. SAIC, Chicago, IL
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 (Upcoming) Title TBD, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND
2024 Cho Gia Đình: For Family, Fine Arts Center Gallery, Chicago, IL
2024 Dear Grandpa, LMRM Open Shed, Chicago, IL
2024 Ông Bà: Fading Memories, Forshey Gallery, Chicago, IL
2021 Made in Vietnam, SAIC INCUBATOR, 37 S Wabash, Chicago, IL
2021 A Sense of Belonging: Thuong Hoai Tran, virtual exhibition, Working Artists Collective
2020 Reality of Our Lives, BFA Thesis Exhibition, Gilson Gallery, ESU, Emporia, KS
2018 Featured Artist: Thuong Tran, Maud’s Tattoo Company, Emporia, KS
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Where Is Your Body, United States of Asian American Festival, SOMArts, San Francisco, CA
2023 Celebrate Print, Lawrence Art Center, Lawrence, KS
2023 Block Party, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA
2023 Something earned, Something left behind, The Center for Craft, Asheville, NC
2023 Room to Breathe, The University of Akron, Akron, OH
2022 AXA Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, New York Academy of Arts, NYC, NY
2022 Room to Breathe, The University of Akron, Akron, OH
2022 Full Court Press Juried Print Exhibition of the Americas, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
2022 Off The Wall 2K22, Side Street Studio Arts, Elgin, IL
2022 Recollections, Western Wilds Collective Conference, https://westernwildscollective.com/
2022 Transient Figuration, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL
2022 Room to Breathe, MFA Show One, SAIC Galleries, Chicago, IL
2022 The Fierce Urgency of Now: Socially Engaged Printmaking, Janet Turner Print Museum, Chico CA
2021 Printwork 2021, Artists Image Resource (AIR), Pittsburgh, PA
2021 Lithography Online Exhibition, Megalo Print Studio, Canberra, Australia
2021 Rearview Mirror, Open Studio Night Exhibition, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Woven with Silver Thread, Open Studio Night Exhibition, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 The Language of Fiber, FASA 46th Annual Juried Fiber Art Exhibition, San Antonio, TX
2021 A City to Wear 3.0, The Research House for Asian Art, Chicago, IL
2021 New Work, SAIC Galleries, Chicago, IL
2021 Niche Partitioning, Patient Info, Chicago, IL
2020 Rise and Pull, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
2019 Frogman’s Staff Portfolio - 7 Deadly Sins: Gluttony, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE
2019 Undergraduate College Student Exhibition, Kansas City Artists Coalition, Kansas City, MO
2018 Undergraduate Summer Residency’s Final Exhibition, Cast Hall, New York Academy of Arts, New York, NY
2018 (Un)Necessary Duplicates, Volume VI, MAPC, Albany County Public Library, Laramie, WY
SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS, & SCHOLARSHIPS
2024 Individual Artist Program Grantee, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicago, IL
2023 2023 Fellowship recipient, Studios at MASS MoCA’s Residency Program, North Adams, MA (Jan. 18 - 31)
2022 3rd Place Prized Award in Layers of Ink, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, https://www.stlouisartistsguild.org/layers-of-ink
2022 AXA Art Prize Finalist, AXA Art Prize, https://www.axaartprize.com/2022-artists
2022 Finalist Visual Arts Fellowship, Luminarts Cultural Foundation, Chicago, IL
2022 2nd Place Prize Award in Printwork Exhibition, Artist Image Resource, Pittsburgh, PA
2021 Excellence in Leadership Nominee, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2020 Dean’s Scholarship, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2020 Outstanding Senior Award, Art Department, ESU, Emporia, KS
2020 “2020 Changemaker,” Community Hornets, ESU, Emporia, KS
2019 Faculty Mentoring/Collaboration Grant, Honors College, ESU, Emporia, KS
2019 “Kasitz Engraving Arts Scholarship,” ESU, Emporia, KS
2018 Scholarship for Drawing Masterclass, Steven Assael & Michael Grimaldi, New York Academy of Art, NY
2018 Academy Merit Scholarship for Summer Undergraduate Residency Program, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2018 Roe. R. Cross Distinguished Professor Scholarship, ESU, Emporia, KS
Awarded to the top applicant among the twelve Shepherd Scholars
2018 “Shepherd Scholar & Scholarship,” ESU, Emporia, KS
Awarded to Emporia State University’s top twelve most outstanding students
PRINTMAKING PORTFOLIO EXCHANGES
2023 Itty Bitty II, Ohio University, Organized by Fiona Avocado
2022 CPC 2023 Calendar, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL
2021 Recollections, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 The Spaces Between, University of Knoxville Tennessee, Remote Contact Symposium, Organized by Haley Takahashi
2021 Itty Bitty, Ohio University, Organized by Fiona Avocado
2020 Moving On, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Organized by Jacob Gibson
2020 Certum Tempus, SGC International Conference, Organized by Stephanie Alaniz and Edie Skeard
2019 Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony, Frogman’s Printmaking Workshop, Organized by Jeremy Menard
2019 Video Games, ESU & University of North Texas, Organized by Jeremy Pederzani
2018 (Un)Necessary Duplicates, Mid America Print Council, Organized by Meghan O’Connor
2018 Oh, There Will Be Ink, ESU & Wayne State College & ESU
2017 Printmaking Portfolio Exchange, ESU & East Central Oklahoma University
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2022 Room to Breathe: Print Exchange and Exhibition, Curated with Maddie May, Chicago, IL
2021 Recollections: Print Exchange and Virtual Exhibition, Curated with Maddie May, Chicago, IL
2019 Connections: Frogman’s Print Workshops, Curated with James Ehlers, Memorial Union Gallery, ESU, Emporia, KS
SELECTED LECTURES & DEMONSTRATIONS
2023 Presenter, “An Homage to Familial History,” Praxis & Practice Digital Weaving Conference, Cleveland, OH
2022 Textile Visiting Artist Talk, PSU, https://www.psutextilearts.com/events-archive
2022 Virtual Artist Talk, Western Wilds Collective Conference, https://vimeo.com/686143154
2021 Printmaking Visiting Artist and Lecture, ESU, Emporia, KS
2021 Printmedia Second Year Graduate Talks, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Printmedia First Year Graduate Talks, SAIC, Chicago, IL
2021 Virtual Guest Panelist, Trio McNair Scholars Program, ESU, Emporia, KS
2019 Presenter, “Frogman’s Print Workshops” McNair Heartland Research Conference, Kansas City, MO
2019 Presenter, “Eurocentrism and Lack of Diversity in Fine Arts,” University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX
2018 Presenter, “Extended Artist Statement,” University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2017 Engraving Demonstration for GRS Tools. The Dirty Kanza, Emporia Arts Council, Emporia, KS
WORKS PUBLISHED
2023 Finkelston, Adam, and James Meara, eds. “Issue #40.” The Hand Magazine, March 22, 2023.
2022 “Repair.” The Mid America Print Council Journal 34/35, July 8, 2022.
2022 Ray Seebeck. New Directions: Anthology of Literary and Visual Arts, Vol 3, February 1, 2022.
2021 Ray Seebeck. New Directions: Anthology of Literary and Visual Arts, Vol 2, June 15, 2021.
OTHER RELATED OPPORTUNITIES
2021 Studio Apprentice, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL
2019 Studio Assistantship, Frogman’s Printmaking Workshop, Omaha, NE
2019 Portfolio Reviewer, Emporia State Grand Tour, ESU, Emporia, KS
2018 Paid Summer Research Internship, TRIO McNair Program, ESU, KS