Phuong Nguyen
porcelain like flesh and skin, flesh and skin like porcelain
14 January – 14 March 2026
Oxygen Art Centre is delighted to begin their 2026 program with a solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Phuong Nguyen entitled porcelain like flesh and skin, flesh and skin like porcelain, on view from January 14, 2026, to March 14, 2026.
The exhibition opens with a reception on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 6:00pm. The artist will be in attendance. Light refreshments provided. Everyone welcome to attend.
The artist’s fourth solo exhibition, Nguyen presents a series of new oil paintings with ornate wood-carved and ceramic frames and woven adornments.
The exhibition title, porcelain like flesh and skin, flesh and skin like porcelain, refers to the “undead” or a living yet dead person alongside stereotypes associated with feminine beauty. The artist is interested in troubling these stereotypes through material juxtaposition grounded by art historical references, specifically the Chinoiserie—the European interpretation and mimic of East Asian art and culture, predominantly in the eighteenth century.
Born and raised in Tkaronto (Toronto), Phuong Nguyen is a Tkaronto-based visual artist working in representational oil painting and experimental weaving. Nguyen travels to Nelson in early January to install new paintings for this exhibition and will be in attendance at the opening reception.
Oxygen Art Centre welcomes the public to celebrate the exhibition and the artist on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm for an opening reception of porcelain like flesh and skin, flesh and skin like porcelain.
Phuong Nguyen’s exhibition porcelain like flesh and skin, flesh and skin like porcelain will be on view at Oxygen Art Centre from January 14, 2026, to March 14, 2026. The gallery will be open on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm during exhibition run. Admission is free. Everyone welcome.
This program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the Vancouver Foundation, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay ReDi program.
Oxygen Art Centre is located at #3-320 Vernon Street along the alleyway behind Baker Street in Nelson, British Columbia. More information about how to access the facility can be found here or contact us for support.
Artist Biography:
Born and raised in Tkaronto (Toronto), Phuong Nguyen is a Tkaronto-based visual artist working in representational oil painting and experimental weaving. Nguyen uses these mediums to explore themes of Ornamentalism and the relationship between exoticism and violence by referencing the aesthetics and the history of Chinoiserie and South East Asian/Vietnamese femininity. Nguyen holds a BFA from OCAD University (2014).
Image Credit: (1) Phuong Nguyen, oil painting on wood panel with ribbon; Photography by Greg McCarthy, Courtesy the Artist, 2025; (2) Phuong Nguyen, Artist headshot, Courtesy the Artist, 2025.