Diane Severin Nguyen

Adjunct Instructor

Diane Severin Nguyen is an artist who works with photography, video, and installation. Nguyen currently lives and works in New York. Nguyen received her BA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. Recent selected solo exhibitions include SculptureCenter, New York (2022); Renaissance Society, Chicago (2022); Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2022); and Maison Européenne de la Photographie (2023). Nguyen’s films have been screened at  New York Film Festival, New York; IFFR, Rotterdam; Berlinale, Berlin; and Yebisu Festival, Tokyo. Recent group exhibitions have been held at the Schinkel Pavilion, Berlin (2023), the 58th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh (2022–2023); ‘GHOST 2565 Triennial’, Bangkok (2022); Greater New York 2021 at MoMA PS1, New York (2021); Made in LA at the Hammer Museum and The Huntington (2020–2021); and ‘Bodies of Water: 13th Shanghai Biennale’, Power Station of Art (2021). Nguyen is a recent recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2023).

A femme person with long dark hair and yellow headphones is sitting profile to the camera. There are glowing smiley faces and red stars projected onto their face. In the background is a window, with gauzy light green curtains tinting the light coming through.

Diane Severin Nguyen, Tyrant Star 2019, 4K video (still)

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

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  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.