Thảo Nguyên Phan (b. 1987, Ho Chi Minh City) lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Thảo Nguyên Phan is today recognized as one of the most important Asian artists on the international stage. Her studies in Vietnam, Singapore, and Chicago, along with her two-year participation in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative under Joan Jonas, have shaped a profoundly interdisciplinary and intercultural practice. Blending contemporary art with literature, colonial history, and pressing social concerns, Phan’s work reflects a richly layered approach to storytelling and visual research. She is also the co-founder of Art Labor, a collective formed with Trương Công Tùng and Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran, which operates at the intersection of art, science, and social justice. Together, they realize collaborative, research-driven projects in close dialogue with local communities.

Phan has exhibited at major international institutions, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai), Tate St Ives, Chisenhale Gallery (London), and WIELS Contemporary Art Centre (Brussels). She participated in the 2022 Venice Biennale, as well as the Sharjah Biennial and LOOP Barcelona. Her works are held in significant public and private collections, among them the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, the Singapore Art Museum, the MMCA Seoul, the Ackroyd Collection, and the Han Nefkens Foundation. Phan was a finalist for the Hugo Boss Asia Art Award and took part in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, where she developed a close collaboration with Joan Jonas.