Tam Tran is a New York City (via Delaware) Visual Artist, whose work evokes deep emotions. She has portraits in the personal collection of Russell Simmons, has taught Art at the University level, and soaks up the sounds and sights of New York City to fuel her creative ambitions. Her large paintings, are eye catching, heart capturing, and always represent her inner most thoughts and feelings. She paints from the depth of her soul.

Whats your earliest memory in life?

My earliest memory in life has to be the first snowfall I witnessed. My family and I just came to America, after our exodus from Vietnam in the late 1970’s. And I was about 3 years old. I must have seen Frosty the Snowman, since I remembered being so excited about grabbing a carrot out of the refrigerator to make a snowman! My brothers were already outside playing and romping around the mysterious white cold dust, and just when I finished putting my jacket on, my mom said, “Oh no! Not you! You’re too little!” I was so bummed and felt so jaded, I remembered just pressing my face up against the window, carrot in hand, watching my brothers have their fun.

 What was it like coming up with so many older brothers

Ha! My brothers were always up to something. Whether it was catching insects and small animals, doing tricks on their bmx’s and skateboards, weightlifting or air kung fu fighting – it was always exciting in our house! That said, I would do a lot of watching and sometimes running after them – but they would always send me home. I guess I was too little . Just watching them be so active definitely inspired me to be very active in sports though, so in high school, I was into everything: field hockey, soccer , track and field, and even basketball!

Is it true you grew up around the corner from allhiphop.com ceo grouchy greg, Hip hop artist Marchitect and actor Duane Sequira. What was that like?

It is very true! We lived in brookside neighborhoods, and Greg and Marchitect rode the same yellow school bus as me. Greg was a couple grades above me, so I don’t remember much except he seemed quite serious and mature, and more on the quiet side.

Marchitect was a grade below me and he was cute as a button, with his reddish brown hair and face full of freckles! I knew he was a cool kid and he was fun and social on the bus. Sometimes, I would get off a few bus stops before my usual and we’d walk home in a group. (Remember the face off with Courtney Marcus, LOL!! That was classic!) Marchitect would get so lively about everything and he was so much fun to “rap” with. Who knew he was going to be a bad-ass rapper when he grew up! (send me a picture of Duane – I may remember a story or two!)

 Whats the first piece of art you remember creating?

I was about 3 years old, and the first American house we lived in had a huge garden, full of flowers. My mom would cut them and place them in vases in the house. I remember making tons of flower drawings in vases. My favorite to make were heart-shaped pedal flowers – the first thing I was taught to draw, frommy dear mother, may she rest in peace <3

 Whats the first art that you were ever paid for?

After graduating from the University of Delaware with a painting degree, I was commissioned to illustrate a novel cover, a story based on the civil war. It wasn’t necessarily my topic of expertise, but it did pay me $2000, so that was sa-weeet!

CONTINUE TO FULL ARTICLE…TAM TRAN BRUSH STROKE OF GENIUS