Dan "Nuge" Nguyen

Dan ‘Nuge’ Nguyen’s artistic practice seeks to explore the relationship between structure and fluidity. Utilizing wood as his primary medium, Nuge creates works that defy the physical qualities of the material while still preserving its warmth and tactility. These vibrant sculptures are visually dense, combining color and organic forms into a single composition. Along with wood, he uses other material such as concrete, ceramics, and felted wool.
Nuge’s process derives from his background in, and subsequent rebellion from, architecture. He felt that the day-to-day routines of a typical architecture firm restricted his creative process. Longing for something much more involved and intensive, he turned to creating simple wooden cutting boards and eventually full-fledged sculptures. To Nuge, his unorthodox use of wood creates a refreshing take on the medium, stripping away its traditional perception of rigidity and solidity . His works take on organic forms, highlighting wood’s inherent natural beauty.