vanessa nguyễn

#ad Partnered with @hbo to design a t-shirt for the premiere of The Sympathizer, based on the novel by @viet_t_nguyen ! Can be purchased on the HBO website and/or the link in my bio :)) It’s incredible to see a Vietnamese led show on such a big platform like HBO. Thank you @hbo and @teamephiphany for the trust 💗 Direct inspiration from this shirt comes from the vibrant colors and typography from old Vietnamese records. Listening to Saigon Supersound was used as inspiration while creating the design. The fluorescent colors are meant to convey the flavors of pho, the custom smoke typography is inspired by the funky shapes seen on these Vietnamese record covers - typography can tell just as much of a story as an image! To top it off, a brush script font was chosen for a nostalgic feel. Watch the @HBO Original Limited Series #TheSympathizer streaming Sundays at 9pm ET, exclusively on @streamonmax @sympathizerhbo @streamonmax @hbo #TheSympathizer #HBOPartner #paid

✨How Do You Say Your Last Name?✨ is a coloring book on growing up Asian-American that I completed as my undergraduate thesis 5 years ago. To my surprise, the response to this book has been overwhelming from those who resonate. Originally intended as an adult coloring book or an art piece, I’ve had a surprising amount of parents buying this book to gift to their children. I’ve had a handful of parents approach me, in tears, telling me that they wished that a book like this existed when they were children. I’ve mentored fellow AAPI college seniors who are also doing their thesis on identity. It’s even found its way to the art book collection at the @metmuseum Library! (yes, you can view it with a MET library card) and has been previously carried at @wingonwoandco and @yuandmebooks . All of this is to say, this book has allowed me to connect with my community in ways that I couldn’t even imagine when I had freshly graduated in 2018. Now, for this year’s APAHM, I wanted to re-share it with a goal in mind. Once the costs are covered, proceeds will be redistributed to mutual aid for NYC’s immigrant community. If you’re local to NYC, you can pick it up at @printedmatterinc ! If not, you can order directly from me with the link in my bio. You get a special thank you note from me if you do :~) “How Do You Say Your Last Name? is a coloring book that explores the experiences of growing up as a first-generation Asian kid in America. From the “lunchbox moment” to high expectations from your immigrant parents, balancing cultures isn’t easy. What does “Asian-American” even mean anyway? Grab some crayons and ponder the duality of the two as you put yourself in the shoes of every other Asian kid having an identity crisis.” $20 link in bio, 100% hand-drawn, for more info on this book, please check out my website, I had worked many sleepless nights to complete this, and now my story is a part of yours, thank you so much! ❣️ #illustration #illustrationartists #illustrator #apahm #aapiheritagemonth #bookstagram #bookartist #coloringbook #coloringbooksforadults #asianillustrators #asianamerican #aapi #aapiartists #asianamericanartist #asianamericanpacificislanderheritagemonth

re-introducing ✨Ăn Chung: Loving in Vietnamese✨”ăn chung” is Vietnamese for “eat together”. Have you ever cooked for someone you love? Attended a potluck and tried your friends' dishes that they made themselves? That’s what ăn chung is all about. It’s about love expressed through communal eating, the act of sharing a meal and a story. More importantly, it’s the intimate gesture of making sure your loved ones are fed. This is a cookbook of 10 Vietnamese recipes paired with stories of when I’ve shared them with my loved ones. These stories range from heartbreak, joy, and even grief. Ăn Chung is love, family, and tenderness. This book was completed during my time as the Artist-In-Residence at the @risolab last Summer. The original run of this book was risograph printed, which is a LOT of time and dedication that I don’t have anymore. So this is the digitally printed version! I’m truly touched by how many people resonate with this book, and it’s even found itself all the way to the @metmuseum !! you can view it on your next visit with a MET library card :’) If you’re local to NYC, you can pick it up at @printedmatterinc , @kalnyc , and @yuandmebooks or you can order directly from me and get a thank you note :~) $20 at nessafiesta.bigcartel.com or with the link in bio, thank you so much for reading! ❣️ #illustration #illustrator #illustrationartists #vietnamesefood #cookbook #asianillustrators #asiancooking #vietnamesecooking #zine #asianamericanartist #vietnameseartists #aapi #aapiartists #apahm #asianamericanpacificislanderheritagemonth #aapiheritagemonth #aapicommunity

My Year Of The Mystery Meatloaf

chinatown birthday fruit cake core memory 🎂 original illustration vs the riso versions printed by @luckyrisograph for @wowprojectnyc ’s sixth edition of 💌 From Chinatown, With Love (FCWL’s) 💌 annual Lunar New Year calendar, collaborating with artists and writers while spotlighting local small businesses. this illustration was prompted by a memory associated with chinatown, and i couldn’t think of a better memory than my earliest one: blowing out candles on a fruit cake from our local bakery 🍰 can you relate? #risograph #editorialillustration #illustrationartist #procreateartist #fruitcakes

whatever you need, your local chinatown dollar store has got it 🧹 original illustrations vs the riso versions printed by @luckyrisograph for @wowprojectnyc ’s sixth edition of 💌 From Chinatown, With Love (FCWL’s) 💌 annual Lunar New Year calendar, collaborating with artists and writers while spotlighting local small businesses. these illustrations are for @kkdiscount , growing up in the brooklyn chinatown myself, dollar stores like this became a checkpoint for all of our essentials, and now in adulthood serve another purpose as unexpected color inspiration in all the stationary, pastel containers, bright altar decorations, and just about everything else you need 🪷 #risograph #editorialillustration #illustrationartist #procreateartist #dollarstore

with rain, comes the need to soak yourself in warm broth ☺️ original illustrations vs the riso versions printed by @luckyrisograph for @wowprojectnyc ’s sixth edition of 💌 From Chinatown, With Love (FCWL’s) 💌 annual Lunar New Year calendar, collaborating with artists and writers while spotlighting local small businesses. these illustrations are for Bo Ky, a restaurant my mom used to take me to as a kid. it’s where i got to practice my vietnamese outside of family, where my mom smacked me upside the head for using my chopsticks to point at an uncle, and where i still go as an adult on rainy days like this to seek the same comfort we needed looking for community. don’t you wish they actually sold big bowls of broth like this? 🍜 #risograph #aapiartist #illustrationartist #procreateartist #vietnamesefood

a girl? who likes movies? (groundbreaking)

PRAISE BE TO THE GLORIOUS SPONGE CAKE! 🍰 original illustrations vs the riso versions printed by @luckyrisograph for @wowprojectnyc ’s sixth edition of 💌 From Chinatown, With Love (FCWL’s) 💌 annual Lunar New Year calendar, collaborating with artists and writers while spotlighting local small businesses. these illustrations are for @spongiescafe , have you tried their sponge cakes yet? (size shown not accurate to scale) #risograph #aapiartist #illustrationartist #procreateartist #spongecake

illo done for @thinkchinatown ’s exhibit “Everyday Chinatown: Objects and the Stories They Hold” on view now at the T!C Studio located at 1 Pike Street, i got to illustrate the feared feather duster 🪶😔 can anyone relate? “This exhibit focuses on our storytelling project of showcasing ‘everyday’ objects to delve into our community’s collective memory and everyday life. Seniors and community members recorded their memories of these everyday objects. Stories are available in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.” ty to @johnleedraws for also being part of the show and painting the mural!! (with help from @yaoxiaoart 👯‍♀️) #vietnameseartist #aapiartist #illustrationartist #procreateartist #featherduster

ushering in the year of the fire horse with none other than a vietnamese cowboy 🐎 this new year doesn’t merely suggest movement, but rather demands it through charging forward - i couldn’t help but think about my fixation on the american west and the bravado of the classic hollywood cowboy squinting at the sun like he owns it. back in 2018, @mitskileaks released her album Be The Cowboy that speaks exactly to that: embracing the arrogance of the marlboro-toting cowboy, boots at the ready to roam open terrain whenever and wherever. this album was a defining moment in my early 20s as i was going through uncomfortable but necessary changes myself. with mitski releasing a new album this year and me entering a new decade of my life, i, too want to be the cowboy, i, too, want the audacity, the sun in my face, the open road, and the courage to keep going. do you? #yearofthehorse #cowboy #vietnameseartist #aapiartists #illustrationartist

For the sixth edition of 💌 FROM CHINATOWN, WITH LOVE (FCWL’s) 💌 annual Lunar New Year calendar we collaborated with seven artists to create illustrations and short poems inspired by the Year of the Fire Horse, Lunar holidays, and the enduring resilience of Chinatown small businesses 🥰🫂. Follow along to hear from the artists themselves and learn more about each of their unique styles.°˖⋆ 𓃗 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒔 @nessafiesta 𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 <3 Vanessa “Nessa” Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American illustrator exploring memory, food, and cross-cultural connection through playful, intimate imagery. Their work is rooted in lived experience, nostalgia, and the quiet humor found in everyday rituals. They are a Scorpio stellium, a devoted memory collector, and more importantly, a Chinatown baby. “As someone born and raised in NYC’s Chinatown, I wanted to evoke the nostalgia and intimacy of growing up in this community. My family used to take me to Bo Ky all the time, and even now their broth 🍲 feels like a warm hug when I go back as an adult. Some of my earliest memories include having a fruit cake for my birthday 🍈🎂, so for that illustration I intentionally made it look blurry, like a hazy memory. This project is a love letter to Chinatown, not just as a place, but as a living archive of memory, care, and community that continues to shape who I am. Now, our stories are interwoven and I get to share a part of myself with you, how special!” ❣️𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡❣️𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟐 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 $𝟓𝟎 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫 🗓️🔥🐴 + catch the W.O.W. Lions blessing FCWL businesses for an abundant start to the Year of the Fire Horse beginning at 12pm and an annual street performance at 3pm on Mosco St.