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City of Chandler, AZ

10/30/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/30/2025 09:22

“Rice is Mẹ: Anh-Thuy Nguyen” opens…

Oct. 30, 2025

CHANDLER, Ariz. - "Rice is Mẹ: Anh-Thuy Nguyen" will be on display at the Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts from Nov. 15, 2025, to Feb. 7, 2026. In this deeply personal exhibition, Tucson-based artist Anh-Thuy Nguyen explores the complexities of cultural identity, memory and intergenerational connection through the powerful symbolism of rice.

For Nguyen, rice is far more than a staple food, it is a vessel for memory, tradition and belonging. Drawing from her experience as a Vietnamese immigrant and mother, Nguyen uses rice as a metaphor for herself and her cultural heritage, reflecting on how wisdom and identity can be lost or transformed through generations. "Like grains of rice running through her hands," Nguyen describes the feeling of culture slipping from her mouth to her daughter's ears, a metaphor that grounds this poignant body of work in both loss and resilience.

In "Rice is Mẹ" (translated as Rice is Mother), Nguyen reclaims rice as her artistic medium. Working with both Vietnamese and American clay to sculpt each individual grain, she transforms this humble material into a poetic representation of identity. Blending photography, video, ceramics, sculpture, poetry and sound, Nguyen creates an immersive and experimental experience that bridges two worlds while honoring the cultural wisdom of the women who came before her.

Nguyen shares, "Through rice, I find my way back home-to my family, to my roots, to the stories that shaped me. This work is my way of preserving what might otherwise be lost."

Join the Vision Gallery for the following public program related to the exhibition:

  • Opening Reception
    Friday, Nov. 14 from 6-8 p.m.
    Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave.
    RSVP on Eventbrite

Vision Gallery is located at 10 E. Chicago St. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Monday and Sunday. Free admission.

Visit the Vision Gallery or call 480-782-2695 to find more information on exhibitions.

Media contact:
Jillian Nakornthap
Exhibits Curator
480-782-2882

City of Chandler, AZ published this content on October 30, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 30, 2025 at 15:22 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]