From Grandfather to Mother, From Mother to Daughter

A series of paintings by Irene Pham on familial relationships, dedicated to their family history as Vietnamese refugees.

Art by Irene Pham

Irene Pham’s From Grandfather to Mother, From Mother to Daughter is the artist’s way of “navigating and expressing the relationship I have with my mother, and the relationship my mother has with her father.” Funded with support from UConn’s IDEA Grant Program, this series uses imagery rather than words to convey Pham’s emotions.

As described on their website:

This body of work is dedicated to my family history as Vietnamese refugees, always moving and always transforming. Thus, immigration is akin to rebirth, constantly adapting to new language, culture, and ideology, from past, present, and future. There will inevitably be hardships and struggles, but the nature of it is that we have to keep moving, and we have to understand each other in order to make it easier. It may feel like we are starting and restarting with nothing, but remember: every step is a new life, and every new life is hope.

Buddhist Beads' Memory
Acrylic on Gessoboard
24 x 36 inches

Bodhisattva's Helping Hands
Acrylic on Wood
24 x 24 inches

The Lotus Root's Memories
Acrylic on Foam
28 x 28 inches

From Mother to Daughter
Acrylic on Wood
24 x 36 inches

From Daughter to Mother
Acrylic on Wood
24 x 36 inches

From Mother to Grandfather
Acrylic on Canvas
18 x 24 inches

The Artist's Mother
Acrylic on Canvas
20 x 24 inches

Homeland's Reflection
Acrylic on Canvas
18 x 24 inches

From Grandfather to Mother
Acrylic on Canvas
36 x 24 inches

Irene Pham is a painter, cartoonist, and digital illustrator currently based in Connecticut. See more of their work on their website or on Instagram @eneriology.art. For those in New York, Irene Pham’s work is featured in mi Centro BK’s Simmering Spices and Femmes of Color Art Show in Brooklyn, NY, with opening night on July 12, 2024.