ABOUT ME

Originally from Vietnam, Mai Tran is a printmaker and photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Through printmaking and photography practices, Mai illustrates the connection between different cultures, mythology, human and animal interactions, as well as environmental destruction through history. Mai has exhibited collections of work nationally and internationally, such as in Vietnam, Thailand, and Sweden. She is featured in various newspapers and TV channels in Minnesota and Vietnam. One of her woodcut prints was featured on Minnesota State Highway 22‘s billboard, and another one is on display in the "Art on Hennepin Avenue" project in Minneapolis. Mai holds an MA and a BFA in Printmaking and Photography from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Currently, Mai is an MFA candidate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where she is expanding her research in print media and assisting in teaching Printmaking classes.

STATEMENT

In my woodcut prints, I showcase dream-like landscapes, Vietnamese legends and customs blended with American culture to create unique visual narratives. ​

Elements such as watermelon, Vietnamese café phin, traditional clothing, mythical animals, the Ly dynasty dragon and ceramics, and the Vietnamese Nom script speak to an almost forgotten culture. In contrast, the carno-lotus (cheeseburger) plant, Walleye, Bobcat, and winter scenery reference life in the Midwest. By combining elements from the two cultures, I build parallel worlds where all living things can sustain and value each other’s differences — a place without barriers of geography, race, gender, class, or species that allows us to define our own uniqueness and purpose in life. 

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My woodcut prints hold true to traditional printmaking practices but deliver new narratives, linking one culture to another.