Ogden Museum of Southern Art presents Nail Salon, a work by Christian Dinh that redirects the stigma and celebrates Vietnamese-American culture

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is proud to present Nail Salon 2020-21 by New Orleans ceramic artist Christain Dinh. Drawing on his personal experience as a first generation Asian-American American, Dinh created this series with the intent to divert stigma and celebrate Vietnamese-American identity by confronting racism, stereotypes, and underrepresentation. The nail salon will be open to the public on Friday, June 18, 2021 and will be on view until Sunday, January 16, 2022.

The Ogden Museum will display 11 works from the nail salon, some of which are decorated porcelain casts from exhibition hands that are normally seen in a nail salon. Since many workers in the nail industry are immigrants who speak little or no English, the display hands serve as translation tools – or as a means of communicating services to customers. On these sculptures Dinh shows various ideals of success of Vietnamese-American culture such as Catholicism, the Vietnamese New Year (Tết) and the family household. “These ideals bring Vietnamese culture together in a country where they are in the minority,” explains Dinh.

“Vietnamese nail salons are often stigmatized for being linked to the work of minorities from the lower class,” says Dinh. “However, I believe that the Vietnamese nail salon is one of the great success stories of the Vietnamese-American community.”

“With his vessels, Dinh elegantly combines high art and low art, tradition and kitsch to convey a pop aesthetic of contemporary Vietnamese-American culture,” explains Bradley Sumrall, curator of the Ogden Museum’s collection. “With the poured hands of his nail salon work, Dinh faces the stigma associated with the subject and reclaims space to convey a narrative of family values, hard work, sacrifice, and success for his community.”

This special artist spotlight is part of FOCUS, a new series launched at the Ogden Museum in February 2021 that showcases the works of established and emerging regional artists who are making an impression with their art. The series serves as a platform for artists to share their work and the important messages it conveys. The Ogden Museum hopes this ongoing initiative will illustrate the powerful role art plays in the complex and vibrant fabric of the American South.

About Christian Dinh

Christian Dinh, born 1992, is a Vietnamese-American ceramic artist from Orlando, Florida. He received his BFA from the University of West Florida in Pensacola in 2017. During his studies at UWF, Dinh received the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center. Dinh is moving to New Orleans in 2018 and is currently participating in Tulane University’s MFA program. Dinh’s ceramic and sculptural work has featured in numerous exhibitions across the Gulf Coast, including And Now For Something New Vol. 2 at the LeMieux Gallery in New Orleans and PHILIC / PHOBIC at the Pensacola Museum of Art.

Artist statement

My current work is focused on the experience of a first generation Asian-American. The work focuses on the Vietnamese culture that developed in the United States after the Vietnam War and the thriving Vietnamese community that was created by refugees and immigrants across the country. The cultural way of life, traditions and beliefs of Vietnam were brought to America in fragments by the Vietnamese immigrants. The resilience of the Vietnamese people enabled them to adapt to their displacement and create a new culture with what was around them. This culture that established the Vietnamese people shaped my experience as a first-generation Asian-American descent. Through my works of art, I draw attention to the experiences, objects, places and values ​​that are part of the identity of the Vietnamese-American people. My artwork redirects stigma and celebrates Vietnamese-American identity by confronting racism, stereotypes and underrepresentation. Vietnamese nail salons are often stigmatized as they are associated with the work of minorities from the lower class. However, I believe that the Vietnamese nail salon is one of the great success stories of the Vietnamese-American community. My Nail Salon series redirects this stigma and highlights the success of the Vietnamese nail salon industry. The pieces in the Nail Salon series are porcelain casts of display hands that are typically seen in a nail salon. The pointers displayed represent the idea of ​​a translator. Many workers in the nail industry are immigrants who speak little or no English and rely on visual representation to communicate. The hands in Tết, AROMA, French Tip and Cám ơn represent a means of communication for those who struggle with the everyday struggles of language barriers. In my experience, the hands and nails show various ideals of success in Vietnamese-American culture, such as Catholicism, Vietnamese New Year (Tết) and the family household. These ideals bring Vietnamese culture together in a country where they are in the minority.

Via Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 1999, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art welcomes visitors to experience and learn about the artists and art movements of the American South. It houses a collection of more than four thousand works, making it the largest and most comprehensive repository of southern art in the country, with particular strengths in the genres of self-taught, regionalism, photography and contemporary art. The museum is also known for its original exhibitions, public events, and educational programs that examine the evolution of the visual arts alongside the southern traditions of music, literature, and local crafts. Entry to the museum is free for Louisiana residents on Thursdays, courtesy of the Helis Foundation. The museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. For more information, visit www.ogdenmuseum.org.