About

Though born in Champaign, Illinois, I lived my formative years as an Asian America. I am studying at George Mason University, College of Visual and Performing Arts for my Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) in painting with minor in art education, art management, and graphics design. Facing being a starving artist, I must double or triple majoring to make me more marketable than just a degree in painting alone. With a degree in painting alone, I am lucky to get a low paying job as a painting restoration artist. Upon completion of my BFA, I will pursuit my Master degree of Fine Art (MFA) to excel in that field and acquire employable skills that prepare me for more opportunities.

My Asian American parents have doubts about my pursuit of an education in art because of the lack of financial stability within the market place. Because both of my parents are Vietnamese immigrants who work hard overcoming a lot of obstacles such as language and culture barriers as well as education and finance, it was credible that they would wish for a better life for their son than the potential of being a poor working artist. This was the misconception they believed as well the misconception they had of my new found belief in God. It was difficult for my first generation parents to understand why their son was pursuing God when my priorities should be to concentrate solely on my academics.
My outlook was not that my relationship with God hinders my education but fuel it. I saw that God had somehow lead me to George Mason to pursue my intention in an art career and that I should do my absolute best for Him and not for myself, my family approval or anyone else. Simply these past three and half years I am starting to understand why I had such a passion in art before college. My mind set as a freshman was that I knew I had a gift in art but was terribly humbled by my professors who helped giving me a reality check that the world does not care if there exists another artist in the world. Making it in the art world is not a simple or easy path by any means, as some may believe, it takes hard work and dedication.