Vi Nguyen: Beaded Bodega
21st August, 2024 – 18th September, 2024
Gotham
Mezzanine-level gallery
3 E 3rd St, New York
NY 10003
Gotham, New York City’s premier licensed cannabis dispensary and concept store, is excited to welcome Beaded Bodega to their mezzanine-level gallery from August 21 to September 18. The exhibition features beaded renditions of some of the most recognizable snack foods, created by self-taught hand-beading embroidery artist Vi Nguyen.
Nguyen, in search of a creative outlet during the Covid-19 lockdown, turned to embroidery, a craft she was familiar with since childhood. Growing up in Vietnam, she was inspired by her mother, who hand-sewed and embellished all of Nguyen’s clothes. Her embroidered snacks are meticulously crafted replicas of some of the most iconic names in snack food culture, sparking immediate recognition and evoking meaningful childhood memories.
The exhibition at Gotham offers a nostalgic journey through Nguyen’s beaded snack foods, which amplify vintage and Asian-inspired snacks. Reflective of her time living in NYC, the pieces are drawn from something quintessentially New York—the bodega. From morning bagels to late-night chips, lottery tickets, and last-minute household essentials, bodegas have provided Nguyen with an endless fountain of creative inspiration.
“My practice is rooted in the transformation of food and everyday essentials into an unexpected and fun medium,” says Vi Nguyen. “Beads turn something flat into a decorative and engaging piece with amplified, bright, and shiny colors and texture. It’s not something that everyone notices, but I’ve always been in awe of snack food packaging. Chips and candy aisles are teeming with some of the most iconic and masterful branding and packaging design in our culture. My beaded renditions bring these designs to life for others—imbuing everyday objects with excitement, drawing the eye with beauty and sparkle.”
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“Reinventing classics is exactly what we’re all about at Gotham,” says Rachel Berks, Gotham’s VP of Creative and Merchandising. “Vi’s attention to detail and joyous celebration of the simple things in life is unmatched. We’re thrilled to host Beaded Bodega’s exhibition in the heart of the Bowery, bringing people together around cannabis, artistry, and ‘snacks.’”
The exhibition will feature 21 one-of-a-kind, collectible beaded snacks on view at Gotham’s mezzanine-level gallery at their 3 E 3rd St store from August 21 to September 18. The artworks will be available for purchase through Gotham, starting at $2,200 USD.
Vi Nguyen: Beaded Bodega open on the 21st of August, 2024 until the 18th of September, 2024 at Gotham New York
©2024 Gotham
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