Faces of DePauw

Healing through Art

When Chi Nguyen ’25 found out that she had won first place and the Museum Purchase Prize at the Putnam County Museum’s 2024 Adult Visual Art Exhibition, she was overcome with emotion. “I was in disbelief,” she recalls. “I ended up crying out of happiness.”

For this soft-spoken studio art major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the accomplishment carried a deeply personal significance. “It was incredibly validating. It felt like all my hard work had truly paid off.”

Nguyen’s winning painting was part of a larger series of works inspired by an unexpected family tragedy: the passing of her uncle. “It was the first time I’ve lost someone so important in my life. It was horrible. I couldn’t go back home, and I didn’t have any way to cope with the grief,” Nguyen says. But through her art, she discovered a powerful outlet for her emotions. “These paintings were a way for me to cope.”

At the time, Nguyen had just started a semester-long residency at the New York Arts Program, where she was expected to complete a new piece each week. The structure of the program – along with the excitement of being around fellow artists in a vibrant city – provided an ideal environment for her to pursue personal healing with a paintbrush in hand. 

“The series was inspired by Vietnamese funeral and post-funeral traditions and rituals,” she explains. “The winning piece specifically depicts a death anniversary dinner, where the family gathers to commemorate the loved one who has passed away.”

Creating these works allowed Nguyen to connect with her past and honor the memory of her late uncle. Just as importantly, it also instilled a new level of confidence in her own artistic voice.

“I was scared before going to New York,” she admits. “I didn’t want to put myself into my paintings. But these are different. I put a lot of my culture and my family into it. I’ve realized that the more personal it is, the better the paintings are. It’s a way to reflect and look inside and learn who I am as a person and as an artist.”

As she looks forward to a future in the arts, Nguyen knows that DePauw has given her a foundation for success. “The DePauw community has been incredibly supportive of my artistic pursuits,” she affirms, giving full credit to the faculty members and fellow students who have pushed her forward. “Their belief in my potential and their guidance have greatly contributed to who I am today as an artist. I am truly grateful for their support.”

Major: Studio Art
Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Campus Involvement: DePauw Arts and Craft Club (co-founder)
Internships/Winter Terms: New York Arts Program (spring 2024)