The Gyeongju Series

Christine Nguyen created this series of paintings during Gyeongju International Residency Art Festa, an artist residency in Gyeongju, South Korea, in 2018. Using aerosol paint on canvas, she developed layered compositions through a process of direct engagement with the local environment. Nguyen collected natural materials; lotus leaves from nearby fields, stalks of rice, and various native plants to use as stencils, along with sand and dirt gathered from the surrounding landscape. These organic elements left behind ghostly impressions and patterns, capturing the ephemeral beauty of Gyeongju’s flora. The resulting works are vibrant, luminous, and meditative; an abstract celebration of the region’s natural abundance, the changing seasons, and the interconnectedness of nature and the cosmos.

During her time there, Nguyen was inspired by the flora and fauna of the region and began to observe and collect plant life with heightened awareness. Gyeongju, known for its rich historical legacy and sacred sites, also held a quiet, spiritual presence that was meditative in its natural landscapes. The peacefulness of the rice fields, the stillness of lotus ponds, and the rhythm of the surrounding hills offered a profound sense of connection; to the land, to time, and to something greater. She felt that nature itself was communicating through these places, inviting contemplation and presence.

This body of work reflects Nguyen’s broader artistic practice, which often explores the intersections of nature, science, and spirituality through material experimentation and sensory engagement. The act of collecting, whether plants, minerals, or celestial references, is central to how she connects with place and uncover unseen relationships between the earthly and the cosmic. In Gyeongju, the local vegetation became both tool and subject, allowing Nguyen to create portals into layered worlds that mirror the expansive, interconnected nature of the universe. These paintings offer a moment of stillness and reflection; a space where earthly matter and cosmic mystery quietly converge.