Phung Huynh
Utopia and Dystopia (diptych), 2019
Silkscreen, ed. 60
15”x11” - each

From the Utopia/Dystopia Portfolio Project

Individual print: $250
Pair of prints: $400

Phung Huynh’s diptych was created in part of the “Utopia/Dystopia” portfolio, curated by artist Miyo Stevens-Gandara. Miyo invited 26 artists to each pick two cards from a full deck, incorporating a diverse range of interpretations and ideas into a single, unified collection. Here, Huynh uses depicts Rocky Rivera, a Bay Area Fillipinx-American rap artist who confronts patriarchy, misogyny, and colonialism. Because she believes that home is where the heart is and home is utopia, dystopia is then the wreckage created by the current administration that disrupts families with its anti-immigrant and hateful policies.

Understanding the diversity that defines Los Angeles, Huynh’s work explores how different perceptions of certain communities result in the ranging interpretations and misinterpretations of cultures. In approaching her work, she investigates how these understandings can be imposed and redefined in other environments. Particularly, she utilizes a “Chinatown aesthetic” in order to convey how racial authenticity is affected by the forces of exoticism for consumerism.

Huynh received her B.F.A. in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design, followed by her M.F.A. in Studio Art from New York University. She has held a multitude of positions as a professor, and currently is an Associate Professor of Art at Los Angeles Valley College. Her work has been showcased in a number of exhibitions around the country, and many pieces can be found in both private and public collections.