05/05/2026
Announcing: Ngàn hoa đua nở | A Thousand Flowers Racing to Bloom, a solo-exhibition of new work by Nguyên Doãn at Wildfruit Projects, opening May 29th, 2026
In “A Thousand Flowers Racing to Bloom,” Vietnamese artist Nguyên Doãn presents his first body of work created in the United States. Having studied art in Ho Chi Minh City, he now draws from a new world of seasonal change—where spring blossoms, summer vibrance, autumn fading, and winter stillness become both subject and metaphor.
Each piece is accompanied by poetry, written as a way to process the emotions of migration: wonder, nostalgia, uncertainty, and hope. The flowers he paints are more than what they appear; they represent moments of growth, adaptation, and the courage to bloom in unfamiliar soil.
This debut exhibition captures a fleeting yet powerful chapter: the intersection of past and present, home and horizon.
From the artist:
“A Thousand Flowers Racing to Bloom is a message to the millions living far from home, those who hope for a bright future, like flowers that bloom when given enough sunlight each spring.”
“Ngàn hoa đua nở, của triển lãm này như một lời gửi gắm đến hàng ngàn, hàng triệu người Việt Nam xa xứ vẫn luôn mong ước một tương lai rực rỡ như những đóa hoa khi đủ nắng nở rộ mỗi độ Xuân về.”
Nguyên Doãn was born in 1981 in Bình Dng, Vietnam. He trained at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts and is a member of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association. He arrived in the United States with his family on September 16, 2024.
Since arriving he has painted around 130 works, repeatedly returning to the spring blossoms and autumn leaves that stir deep feeling in a new land.
Please join us for an opening reception on Friday, May 29, 2026 from 5-9 PM at Wildfruit Projects, 4704 Virginia Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63111. Free and open to the public. A percentage of art sales will go to support the International Institute of St. Louis
