Phong Nha, the Making of an American Smile

Tammy Nguyen will be leading a discussion and virtual workshop inspired by her newest project Phong Nha, the Making of an American Smile. The project expands from a commissioned essay by Ugly Duckling Presse, where Nguyen shares a story about her birth defect of being born without two of her front teeth. As she takes us through the journey of how this defect was resolved, she branches off into narratives about Forest City, a man made made island in Malaysia, and Phong Nha, a karst system in Vietnam over 400 million years old. The writing unfolds into Nguyen’s personal grappling with beauty and capital– her own internal struggle with what is ultimately valuable to make a happy life.

In this virtual experience, you will learn about this written work and will also be introduced to Nguyen’s current studio work where she transforms text into visual artwork. She will show you a few projects she is working on her kitchen table as well as invite you to make art with her that might probe at how you grapple with beauty and capital.

$10 Suggested Donation

Proceeds will go toward the speaker and supporting CBA’s programming.

Reading can be accessed here: PHONG NHA, THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN SMILE Tammy Nguyen