Artist Statement

I have shifted the focus of my artwork from soul stories, which are small/intimate vessels that capture the snapshots of life, to trees of life. My forest began as a tribute to my grandmothers. They were both dying of illnesses while I was far away in Philadelphia. As I began to process their imminent deaths, I knew both of their legacies would live on in the people who loved them. So I built these trees in remembrance of them and also as a reminder that the fruits of our labor will continue without us. The forest has continued to grow; I am still intrigued with the positive and negative space along with pushing the overall gesture of the pieces. As I worked, I began to think about how trees are from and of the Earth and the relationship of Earth and wind. The steadiness and stability of the ground and the whimsical, free spirit of the clouds. I am working on wall hangings inspired by the wind while I explore the relationship of Earth and wind.

Background

My name is Erin Nguyen (Taphorn) and I grew up in a small town tucked away in the Northwest corner of Iowa. I was blessed to have a phenomenal high school visual arts program where I took my first ceramics class my sophomore year. Due to the nurturing and molding from my talented and gifted art teachers, Ron Netten and Anita Coon, I fell in love with clay and have been working with the medium ever since. From there, I studied clay with Gerry Punt at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, earning my Bachelor of Arts in Art and Secondary Education. Gerry instilled in me the necessity to ask questions and gain experiences. After earning my degree, I continued to work with clay at Augustana while teaching elementary art at West-Lyon Community School District for two years. Soon after, my husband and I uprooted ourselves to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I taught inner-city art and worked on my artwork at The Clay Studio. I became the middle school art teacher in my hometown of Storm Lake, Iowa back in 2011, and I am now teaching 3D Design & Exploring the Visual Arts at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls. I am happily back in the Midwest where I continue to explore and create clay vessels.