Biddy Tran was born in Rach Gia, Viet Nam. She left Rach Gia at three months of age and was imported to Santa Ana, California that Fall. Currently she is based in Los Angeles.
For the past decade, her work has focused on questions of capitalist hegemony, postcoloniality, and hegemony within art, representation and imaging.
EDUCATION
MFA California Institute of the Arts (Art)
BA University of California, Los Angeles (Art) summa cum laude, Chancellor’s Marshall, Commencement Speaker
EXHIBITIONS
2022 Gegen den Strich presented by Palais des Beaux Arts, Vienna, Austria
2021 Couriers of Hope, Long Beach, CA
2020 Collection, Palais de Beaux Arts, Vienna, Austria
2014 Specters of the West, Bäckerstrausse 4 Platform for Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria 2012 Behold the Invisible, Gallery 621, Tallahassee FL (solo)
2012 Narcissism, the Real, the Fake and the Anti-Digital Impulse, Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Something you could wipe off, wash away, peel off, The Lighthouse, Oakland CA
2011 Tompkins Projects West: Works on Paper, Dan Graham Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2009 Why Theory, Spring Arts Tower, Los Angeles
2009 PRETERITION, California Institute of the Arts (solo)
2008 Pass the Buck, California Institute of the Arts (solo)
2005 More or Less, University of California, Los Angeles (solo)
2005 Matching Luggage for Divorced Couples, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2004 Annual Juried Exhibition, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Curator: Lauri Firstenberg, Founder and Director/Curator, LAXART, Los Angeles CA
2004 Free Stuff, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 I Love a Parade, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Annual Juried Exhibition, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Curator: Christina Fernandez, Artist
and Assistant Professor of Photography at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California 2003 Glitch, EDA, Los Angeles, CA
CURATION
2012 Curator, Narcissism, the Real, the Fake and the Anti-Digital Impulse featuring artists Anoka Faruqee, Nikhil Murthy and Karina Nimmerfall; Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Curator, The Road to Hell is Paved... with Dennis Adams, Andrea Bowers, Michelle Dizon, Charles Gaines, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Joaquin Segura, and Nate Young; Las Cienegas Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Curator, Tumbleweeds and Other Histories with Steve Kado, Meghann McCrory, Ignacio Perez, Gala Porras-Kim, Ali Prosch and Ingrid Von Sydow; Five Thirty Three, Los Angeles, CA
PANELS / ARTIST TALKS
2020 Artist Talk, with Palais des Beaux Arts, Vienna, Austria
2016 Artist Lecture, Roberts Art Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2014 Artist Talk, “Specters of the West,” Baeckerstrasse 4—Platform for Contemporary Arts, Vienna,
Austria
2012 Panelist, “Uncanny Valley” with moderator Claudia Slanar and panelists Seth Lower, Nikhil Murthy
and Chris Peters
2010 Moderator and Coordinator, "The Politics of Art," with panelists Michelle Dizon, Charles Gaines and
Ashley Hunt, Las Cienegas Projects, Los Angeles, CA
PUBLICATION / BIBLIOGRAPHY
2015 “The Road to Hell is Paved...,” Time Runs Out, 2015, 194-195
2014 “Specters of the West,” Curatorial essay, Claudia Slanar
2012 “Narcissism, the Real, the Fake and the Anti-Digital Impulse” (exhibition catalogue)
2010 “The Road to Hell is Paved...,” Curatorial Essay, The Road to Hell is Paved... Catalogue, 2010, 9-14 2010 “Conversation with Michelle Dizon,” Interview, The Road to Hell is Paved... Catalogue, 2010,15-25 2010 “Regarding Our Pop Culture Problem, and Plato’s: Charles Gaiines and Biddy Tran,” Interview,
edited by Adam Feldmeth, The Road to Hell is Paved... Catalogue, 2010, 63-69 2009 Why Theory Exhibition Catalogue, photograph of work, Los Angeles, CA, 2009, 66
AWARDS & HONORS
2014 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant 2011 Puffin Foundation Artist Grant
2008 Joshua L. Meador Scholarship
2008 CalArts Scholarship
2009 CalArts Scholarship
2005 School of Arts & Architecture Academic Achievement Award
2005 Chancellor’s Marshall
2005 School of Arts & Architecture Commencement Speaker
2005 Art Council Undergraduate Project Grant
2005 Graduated Summa Cum Laude
2004 Art Council Undergraduate Project Grant
2004 Annual Juried Exhibition curated by Lauri Firstenberg
2003 Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation Project Grant Award
2003 Annual Juried Exhibition curated by Christina Fernandez
2002 Long Beach Assistance League Scholarship
TEACHING
2023 Lecturer, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (Drawing II)
2022 Visiting Professor, Scripps College, Claremont CA (Introduction to Painting, Introduction to Drawing)
2021-present Lecturer, California State University, Long Beach CA (Intermediate Life Drawing, Life Painting
2015-present Adjunct Faculty, Cerritos College, Norwalk CA (Fundamentals of Drawing)
2014-2015 Adjunct Faculty, Cerritos College, Norwalk CA (Adobe Photoshop/Digital Imaging)
2014 Adjunct Faculty, California State University, Long Beach CA (Fundamentals of Drawing)
2011-2014 Adjunct Faculty, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo CA (Art Appreciation)