PHUNG HUYNH
Made by Refugees, acrylic paint on canvas, 62.25 x 53.25 inches, 2020
Mayly Tao, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Ann Le, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Kosal Khiev, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Vann Nath, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Rithy Panh, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Viet Thanh Nguyen, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Press:
Nadra Nittle, “SocioPopping Up on Billboards Across L.A. Here’s What They’re About,” KCET, April 14, 2021
Richard Guzman, “Look up! This Los Angeles billboard exhibition will make your commute more artistic,” Daily News, April 2, 2021
Katy Cowan, “The Billboard Creative turns LA’s famous billboards into giant outdoor galleries,” Creative Boom, March 15, 2021
“The Stories Inside Cambodian Donut Shops,”APEX Express, 94.1 KPFA Radio, November 2019
Hoa (Dad), graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Hao (Mom), graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
DJ Hunny, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Tran T. Kim - Trang, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
Domestic Settings, acrylic paint on canvas, 62.25 x 53.25 inches, 2020
Chef T, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
THE PINK DONUT BOX: Tracing Stories of Cambodian and Vietnamese Refugees
Informed by my family’s refugee history and inspired by personal research and interviews with Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees, my drawings on pink donut boxes and paintings unpack the complexities of immigration, displacement, and cultural assimilation within Southeast Asian communities. Each donut box drawing is meant to be a sensitive portrayal of a unique personal story. Close to 90% of California’s donut shops are mom-and-pop businesses run by Cambodian immigrants or Cambodian Americans (Khmericans). The trend that links pink boxes with donuts can be traced back to the Khmerican donut ecosystem.
Mr. Rogers, graphite on pink donut box, 25" x 30.5," 2019 - 2020
The Billboard Creative, Hollywood, 2021