Michelle Nguyen: Ode to Proteus

Kendra Lee, Made in Bed, June 29, 2023

Gillian Jason Gallery presents Michelle Nguyen’s first solo exhibition in the UK. The Canadian-Vietnamese artist investigates shapeshifting and metamorphosis as profound human experiences through physical manifestations of mythological figures and the nature of time and death.

 

The new series interrogates the accumulation of changes in all aspects of life. Each artwork dissects this central theme, from the challenges of grief, the evolution of cultural beliefs, the morphing of mystical and natural creatures, and the ongoing transformations of our identities. Consequently, in unravelling this concept of human experiences, Nguyen defines these as ‘little deaths’ to allow new versions of ourselves to surface. Through every interaction and small detail, Nguyen's multi-dimensional series takes the viewer on an ardent journey that engulfs the gallery’s space.