Established in 2018 by Quynh Nguyen, Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF) was born from a desire to better serve the artistic community of Vietnam. Acting as a branching support structure, NAF expands the possibilities for contemporary art in Vietnam by facilitating artistic and intellectual exchange through our Collection, Exhibitions, Education and Public Programs, and Development Projects, in the hope that such initiatives will not only enrich individual practices but also promote the overall growth of our local art scene. 

Our Collection focuses on artists connected in any way to Vietnam and refuses to limit artists by a definition of identity that is restricted to nationality, instead prioritizing their practice, experimentation, and criticality as defining factors. The Collection thus features work from both Vietnamese and foreign artists, enlarging the definition of what can be considered “art from Vietnam”. 

With education at the core of our values, NAF partners with the EMASI Schools and Renaissance International School Saigon, embedding artworks into the students’ daily life by featuring its Collection and hosting thematic exhibitions, both across different campuses and in dedicated art spaces. NAF aspires to connect with and offer students, as well as our local audience, a chance to engage with groundbreaking forms of artistic production from Vietnam and beyond. 

“I have been collecting art since 1995, and over the years, this passion has gradually grown into a profound commitment, becoming a central influence in my life. In 2014, after spending a few years in Houston, Texas, I decided to open the International Modern Art Gallery to showcase the works of Vietnamese artists to a new audience in the US. During my time there, I was very much inspired by different private collections and public museums, and how their exhibitions and education programs could attract, educate, and inspire diverse audiences. I wanted the same for Vietnam one day, and so in 2018, Nguyen Art Foundation was founded.”

– Quynh Nguyen, Founder of Nguyen Art Foundation 

*From 2018–2021, Nguyen Art Foundation was managed by MoT+++. From 2022 onward, the team is joined by Bill Nguyen, Nhat Q. Vo, and Thái Hà as the new management team. Read more about the team here.