Meet Timmy Nguyen, Our Featured Young Artist of the Month!

Meet Timmy Nguyen! 

We are very pleased to introduce one of our fine teen-photographers, Timmy Nguyen as September’s Featured Young Artist!  A recent Charlestown High School graduate and now an AFH alum, Timmy worked at AFH during most of his high-school career. We have seen him grow as a talented photographer who has been documenting all of our adventures since joining Haidan, Mary, and the others in our Photography Studio three years ago. Before he starts his college classes at Bunker Hill, we got a chance to sit down with Timmy and learn about his other creative  leanings, such as cooking and music. Check out his interview and art below and let us know what you think of these interviews and features about the young talented teens we are lucky enough to work with at the EpiCenter each year! 

Hi Timmy! Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? 

I'm born and raised in Boston. 

What do you like best about Boston? 

There are a lot of things I like about Boston; the architecture and history of how Boston came to be really fascinates me. 

Where else could you see yourself living? 

Probably Hawaii—my dream place to live!  

How did you hear about AFH? 

A friend in my art class during high school mentioned Artist For Humanity to me, so I applied. 

Which Island was your favorite that you visited this summer with AFH? 

Grape and Peddock Islands were my favorites. These two had the best shots and landscapes, and I managed to capture good shots at both islands. 

What drew you to photography? 

I wanted to try out something new. Also, I had a growing interest in documentary photographers and photojournalism.

What interests you most about photography? 

The most interesting part of photography for me is the message behind a photo and how people perceive it.

Who or what inspires you? 

Steve McCurry. He went through extraordinary measures in order to display what was going on. Whether it was a dangerous, war-torn country, or extremely poor cultures and people, he did his best to get a great shot and send a powerful message to the world through his photos.

AFH: Is anyone else in your family an artist?

My father was an artist. He created sketches and has a collection of artwork, but during his career, he never had the chance to pursue his dream as an artist due to lack of support and money. 

AFH: What are you reading right now?

I'm currently reading The Hymns Of Orpheus and am also getting into the book Kali: The Black Goddess Of Dakshineswar. I also read ALOT of cookbooks. 

AFH: Woah! Awesome! What's your favorite cookbook?

My favorite one is Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. He's one of my favorite chefs.

AFH: What do you cook the most?

Bulgogi, red pork, and dumplings for now!

AFH: What music do you listen to?

Almost everything I can put into my ears. I listen to a lot of post-rock and ambient stuff like Junius, Mogwai, Mono, Ryoji Ikeda, Kitaro, and a little bit of Queen. 

Photo taken during our BIG End O' Summer Bash this year!

AFH: What do you do when you are not in school or working?? 

I tend to spend time with family and friends.

AFH: What are you going to study in college? 

I want to study Visual Arts and Photography.

AFH: What was the best part of working at AFH?

The experience of being able to work and network with peers is the best part. 

AFH: What will you miss most about AFH? 

Everything! Especially just getting to go there after school and see my co-workers and getting work done!

AFH: What is your dream job?

My dream is to become a photojournalist, writer, or a conceptual artist.

AFH: What does it mean to be an artist to you? 

To me, art is a lot of things:  history, expression, fantasy, creation. An artist is a person who can release and craft those ideas.

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