Stop Over Charlotte: "I Have Enough Space Here to Be Creative"

The deeper you go into the South of the USA, not only does the dialect become broader, but the cities also become more sprawling. The apartments are bigger, the rents cheaper. More room for personal flourishing. That's what Kenny Nguyen appreciates about his adopted home of Charlotte. "I can afford a big studio here," says the artist with Vietnamese roots. "A place where I can be creative."

Charlotte Attracts the Young, Creatives, and Art Enthusiasts

Charlotte is growing rapidly. Many young and creative people are now also drawn to the largest city in the southern state of North Carolina. When Nguyen moved to Charlotte in 2010 from Ho Chi Minh City, a metropolis of six million people, the city seemed almost provincial to him. That has changed, but many residents still celebrate a kind of suburban life. "People come uptown to work or for social events in the evening," says Nguyen. "Otherwise, most people retreat into their private lives, enjoying the peace and quiet and their beautiful neighborhoods."

Nguyen, on the other hand, is often out and about in Uptown. "When I need inspiration, I walk along Tryon Street and just watch the people," he says. Or he picks up a strawberry cake and a caramel latte at Amélie's French Bakery & Café. "The macarons are also fantastic there," says Nguyen.

3 Favorite Tips

1. Have a coffee at Undercurrent Coffee.
2. Go shopping in the NoDa or Plaza Midwood neighborhoods.
3. Visit an art exhibition at Goodyear Arts.

The city center also has a lot to offer artists and art enthusiasts. "Shortly after I moved to Charlotte, my family took me to the Mint Museum," says Nguyen. "Because they knew I was interested in art and there are always fashion exhibitions there." His favorite spots also include the McColl Center and the Brooklyn Collective, two galleries that offer a forum for local artists in particular.

Nguyen's Art Is Like a Metaphor for His Life

Nguyen grew up on a coconut farm in the south of Vietnam, then moved to Ho Chi Minh City with its booming fashion industry. He later wanted to pursue his dream of a career as a fashion designer in Charlotte, where a large part of his family lives. However, the fashion industry is virtually non-existent here. But Nguyen wanted to continue being creative, so he studied art, developed his own style, and built up a group of buyers for his works via social media, even before critics and gallery owners had discovered him.

Nguyen's textile art can be seen as a metaphor for his life: He cuts up silk and weaves the strips of fabric into something new, which he then drapes artfully on the wall. "Silk has great cultural significance in Vietnam," says Nguyen. "It stands for my roots, but also for my path between fashion and art." An immigrant's shattered dream can grow into something beautiful – and a success story.

When Nguyen misses the taste of his homeland, he simply asks his mother to cook for him. "One of the advantages of living close to family," he says. For those who don't have this luxury, Nguyen recommends the restaurant Pho @ NoDa, where not only the eponymous rice noodle soup pho is on the menu in different variations, but also other traditional dishes such as fresh spring rolls or bánh mì. However, Nguyen has also discovered the delights of hearty Southern cuisine. "Haberdish has great fried chicken," he says. "They marinate it in buttermilk beforehand, which makes it really tender and juicy." Of course, there's no getting around barbecue in North Carolina. Nguyen likes to eat at Midwood Smokehouse and prefers Lexington-style barbecue with a tomato and vinegar sauce. "The acidity balances out the fatty meat wonderfully," he explains.

It's not just Nguyen's taste that has become somewhat Americanized. After 15 years in the U.S., he describes himself quite naturally as Vietnamese American. The American Dream can start on a coconut farm in the south of Vietnam, and although it's not always plain sailing, it is still very much alive.

Photos: Rusty Williams | Producer: Nicola van der Mee

About

Kenny Nguyen has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2010. His dream of making a career as a fashion designer here has not come true. But with his very successful textile art, he celebrates his Vietnamese roots as well as his enthusiasm for fashion.