Simon Tran
Southern Exposure Auction 2024
4.5.2024
The last post on my website was a year ago, ha! I post mostly on my Instagram account, but I'll try to post more here. The Southern Exposure benefit art auction is upon us and the piece pictured, Skeleton Leaves, will be in the silent auction portion. The auction event is April 13, 6-10pm and online bidding is open now. Click here for the details.
Here's a brief description of the work:
This piece is a meditative synthesis on the reflection of growing older and returning to familiar spaces. In the backyard of my childhood home was a playset that once was the battlefield for his flea market toys. Now, my parents have rooted a garden of fruit trees and a forest of plants. Fresh memories intertwine with the old, as life's journey persists.
More big news ahead, please be excited.
Southern Exposure Auction 2023
4.7.2023
I have a piece in the upcoming benefit auction for the organization that I have been working for, Southern Exposure. There are about 140 artists in this auction and you can check out the work from April 8 until the day of the Auction April 29 at Southern Exposure. Sign up here to bid and/or buy tickets for the event on April 29 at 6pm. My piece is item 122 in the silent auction. Support please!
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Monster Drawing Rally at Southern Exposure!
10.12.2022
It's that time again! Here are some of the drawings I’ll be finishing up this Saturday, October 15, at the annual fundraiser, Monster Drawing Rally, at Southern Exposure. My drawing shift is 4:10pm-5:10pm. Buy your tickets now or volunteer to get in free.
Southern Exposure Auction
3.29.2022
I have a piece in the upcoming fundraiser for Southern Exposure, April 23, 2022. I have had the pleasure of managing the arts education programing there for the last three years. I've really felt more part of an arts community because of my involvement with SoEx. I've assisted some incredible youth and working artists from the Bay Area. Money raised from this auction helps fund the summer youth intensive, mentorship program, and the youth advisory board. Please buy a ticket to the event and bid on some art!
All bidding is online, so you don't have to attend in person to win! Bid on the piece here.
New Zine
2.24.2022
I decided to make a new zine! It's been a kabilljion years since the last time I made a zine. It's called shoo away the sleeps. The works featured are a manifestation of the meditative feeling experienced after waking up from a long nap. It's 26-page full color gloss with a cardstock cover. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in. Edition of 10. Each zine includes two original ink drawings. One on the first page of the zine and one separate 8.5 in. x 5.5 in. ink drawing on card stock . Also includes a handmade obi strip.
Mailed in a firm photo mailer. Shipped using USPS Priority Mail. Currently only shipping in the United States of America.
Here are more pics of the zine.
Buy the zine from my Storenvy.
East Bay Express
10.28.2021
I had the honor to recently be interviewed for inclusion in the East Bay Express article - From Refugees to Diaspora: Generations of Vietnamese contribute to the East Bay by Michael Giotis. Check out the article here
Drawings for sale
10.28.2021
I have a couple drawings up for sale through Southern Exposure. Proceeds help fund programing and operations at Southern Exposure. Buy the drawings here.
Mills Building Group Exhibition
10.22.2021
The next group exhibition I'll be in is in the lobby gallery at the Mills Building (not associated with Mills College) in San Francisco. Artsource Consulting has curated some great exhibitions there in the past and this one will be the first one since the beginning of the pandemic. Participants in this exhibition are also members of the Berkeley Art Center. The work will be up from October 22, 2021- February 10, 2022. Open Monday-Friday, 7am-6pm.
Mills Building
220 Montgomery St.
San Francisco
Chapter 510 Mural
9.16.2021
The first mural in a handful of murals for Chapter 510's new space in Old Oakland. Check out the pics here. Expect the next murals to be produced soon.
Facebook Mural
9.4.2021
I just completed a mural for Facebook's Sunnyvale, CA office. This project made possible through the Facebook Open Arts program. I had amazing assistance from long time friends Adam Camero and Jen Stract. The team at FB were great hosts and I'm proud of how the mural came out. Check out pics I took of the mural here. Pics and a promo video from FB coming out in a month or so.
Antidotes to confusion
8.11.2021
As the Artists in Education Manager at Southern Exposure (SoEx), I’ve had the great fortune to work with many amazing youth artists and teaching artists this past year. We’ve put together a group exhibition which opens tomorrow 4pm-7pm by appointment. In addition, the SoEx Youth Advisory Board and mentorship program produced a zine that will be available for purchase at the gallery! I’m so proud of everyone involved and am grateful to work with a very supportive team at SoEx.
The exhibition dates are August 12- September 5. Walk-ins on Tuesdays-Saturdays 12pm-6pm.
S O U T H E R N E X P O S U R E
3030 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
To Make Home
4.1.2021
Kari and I curated a group exhibition at NIAD art center in their storefront gallery space. The Exhibition is call To Make Home and features work from Saul Alegria, Mireya Betances, Eddie Braught, Jen Stract, Felix Quintana, Kari Simonsen, Susan Wise, my daughter, Kari's dad, and myself. The show is up for the rest of April and is viewable from the sidewalk. Pieces from the NIAD artists are available for purchase online.
On April 9 at 6pm via Zoom, Jen, Felix, Kari, and I will be talking about our work in the show. Register for the talk here.
About the exhibition:
To Make Home is about how each of us holds a different idea of home—the city we grew up in, the people we love, a pet, the place we do laundry, or the space in which we make art. Home can mean a comforting place, a far away place, or a confusing place.
Each of us carries a bit of home with us. For example, Simon Tran is influenced by the spices used in his mom’s Vietnamese cooking. Others view home as something to leave behind, such as jen stract whose art practice involves carrying mini clay washing machines with her at all times, and leaving them behind with people and places she visits. Felix Quintana documents the Los Angeles urban landscape with ephemera from his family and youth. For Kari and her sister Cecilie, they live in different parts of the country and whenever they visit each other they bring the wooden shark carved by their father, Knut Simonsen, as a way of sharing a memory of home.
The pieces in this show share how each of us make “home” in our own lives, and hopefully give some insight into what is important about the meaning of home to you.
SoEx Auction 3.13.21
I haven't posted in awhile, been busy with working at Southern Exposure and Berkeley Art Center. I have some new paintings I've been working on and will post pics soon. I also have some exciting projects coming up that I'll announce at a later date. Until then Southern Exposure is having its annual fundraiser art auction and exhibition. Check out the heavy hitters that have work in the auction. They'll hopefully have appointments available for people to view the work in the gallery soon. Check SoEx's website for upcoming appointments. The actual auction will be online March 26, 2021, get your tix now! Check out the piece I have up for auction here.
Monster Drawing Rally Online 2020!
10.26.2020
Hi. Once again I will be drawing during Southern Exposure's Monster Drawing Rally on Thursday October 29,
7:00 – 8:30PM. This year the event will happen all online. I'll be drawing during the fist period. For more information check out SoEx's website.
For the drawing I'll be working on, so far I have referenced some video game iconography, specifically, the mousy cop from Mappy Land and an Inkling from Splatoon. We'll see how this one develops...
Also during the event, three of my drawings will be up for sale. They'll be available for sale through SoEx's Bigcartel site.
See you online.
Online Art Auction at SoEx
4.13.2020
I have a piece in the upcoming online auction for the upcoming online auction fundraiser for Southern Exposure. As the Artists in Education Coordinator, I've had the pleasure of working with so many different artists of all ages there and really care about the programming that happens at SoEx. If you have the extra cash, please support.
Click on the image on the left for detail pics and a brief description of my piece in the auction.
For more info and register to bid at soex.org/auction
U.C. Berkeley Alumni Exhibition–Invincible California
2.11.2020
I'm super stoked to be invited to show in the upcoming alumni exhibition at Cal! I'll be creating an installation composition that will incorporate new and old pieces including a wall painting. Opening reception is February 19 4-7pm at the Worth Ryder Gallery on campus. Check out the UC Berkeley Art Practice website for more info here
Pics from the installation here.
116 Kroeber Hall
UC Berkeley Campus