Karen Nguyen

My work explores the enduring presence of peace, beauty, and hope amid life’s challenges. I believe grace can be found even in moments of uncertainty, and that hope often shines brightest when life feels most tumultuous.

During the global shutdown of 2020, I turned inward and committed myself fully to painting, creating more than 100 works over two years, many exceeding four feet in scale. This period of sustained creation became both a personal refuge and a defining chapter in my artistic practice.

My process is both methodical and intuitive. I begin by envisioning where a work will live, establishing its thematic direction and color palette before allowing the painting to evolve organically. I incorporate unconventional tools—including toothbrushes, string, straws, and scrapers—to create unexpected textures, movement, and marks. Each work is an original expression; I pour my heart into the process so that no two paintings can ever be replicated.

Creating has always been intrinsic to who I am. It is a privilege to live a life guided by passion and to share what my hands and heart create with collectors, admirers, and communities. My work has been exhibited and placed at my Costa Mesa studio, the World Trade Center in New York, ...

MBA, University of California, Irvine
BA, Political Science & Art History

2026 City of Santa Clarita
Solo Exhibition, "Beyond the Horizon"

2026 City of Newport Beach
59th Art Exhibition

2026 City of Laguna Beach
"It's Small" Art Exhibition

2026 City of Yorba Linda
Pop Contemporary Art Exhibition

2025 City of Costa Mesa
ArtVenture Art Exhibition

2025 City of Huntington Beach
"Centered on Center" Art Exhibition

2022 John Wayne Airport Exhibition, Orange
County, CA (Group & Solo)

2022 AD Art Show, Oculus World Trade Center,
NYC, NY (Group & Solo)

2022 Centered on the Center, Huntington
Beach Art Center, HB, CA (Group)

2021 Art of the Fifth, City Hall, Costa Mesa,
CA (Solo Exhibition)

2021 Saatchi The Other Art Fair, Santa Monica,
CA (Group)