My Tien Pham

Who or what influenced your art when you were young?
When I was younger, I was captured by mangas (Japanese graphic novels) and the varying art styles in the different stories I read. I drew manga characters all day, imitating their styles and adding my own flare to their figures and appearances.

Do you remember what your first artwork looked like? Do you still have it?
As a child, I drew a lot of flowers in vibrant colors. Just sheets after sheets of flowers that my mom would keep to show off to her friends who visited. I don’t have those anymore but I do have all my art I drew throughout middle and high school which consisted of different manga characters.

Why did you choose illustration as your life’s work instead of, for example, filmmaking, law, or even medicine?
Whether it’s in a figure-drawing class or mindlessly doodling during long lectures, I’ve drawn my whole life. It’s an act that comes to me naturally. I chose illustration in the end because I’m passionate about visually telling my story and connecting with people through my art.

Did you study art in school?
As the first to attend college in my family, as well as being financially responsible for myself throughout school, I initially chose a major that would allow me to be “financially stable” in the future. I went through journalism and communication classes with zero motivation or interests and found myself asking what is it that I truly love doing. As a compromise, I minored in art while majoring in the creative track of advertising. I followed this path with the intention that I would have a future career which allows me to utilize my creativity and my passion for art.

Where does your inspiration come from; your impulse to make art? Do you have a source for your ideas?
My inspiration comes from the different communities I grew up in and am a part of. I feel many of our communities aren’t represented and our stories go untold, so I wanted to visually tell our stories, in particular women of color and southeast Asian women.

How would you describe the process of creating art?
To me, the process is exhilarating because when I start off with a blank canvas/paper/artboard, I don’t know what to expect in the end even if I started off with an image in my head of how I intended it to turn out.

If you could do something else, other than creating art, what would it be?
I would still be creating or designing something, whether that’s designing experiences, buildings, furniture or clothing.

If you could give a viewer clues to understanding your art, what would you say?
I would say my art lies between representation and self-care, between dream-like states and reality.

Why does art matter to you? Why might it matter to the world?
Art matters to me because it represents an artist’s voice and how they view the world. What the world needs more of is empathy and art allows people to understand the perspective of another human being. The world needs art so we can continue to coexist and empathize with one another, to remember that we are human.