CPW presents SỐNG, the first public exhibition of photographs by acclaimed poet and novelist Ocean Vuong, revealing a powerful new dimension of his creative voice.
Award-winning poet, novelist, and essayist Ocean Vuong (The Emperor of Gladness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Time Is a Mother) has emerged as one of the defining voices of his generation–an artist who renders a soulful, nuanced representation of the immigrant working-class experience in America.
With this initial exhibition of his photographs, Vuong extends his deeply personal vision beyond the written word, revealing how his storytelling finds new expression in images.
Born in Ho Chi Minh City in 1988 and raised in a working-class Vietnamese American family in Hartford, Connecticut, Vuong draws on the intergenerational experiences of diaspora that followed the Vietnamese Resistance War Against America.
Although Vuong has long made photographs—often turning to them in the process of writing—this marks the first time his visual work is being presented publicly. His images, ranging from fluorescent pink-lit nail salons to quiet domestic interiors, capture the textures of immigrant and working-class life in America with rare tenderness, offering a profoundly personal meditation on loss, survival, and belonging. This presentation centers on an up-close body of photographs of his younger brother, taken as the two navigated grief, care, and renewal following their mother’s death.
This exhibition marks a rare moment of artistic transformation, as Vuong turns his gaze inward to explore photography as a continuation of his literary practice. The title SỐNG means “to live” in Vietnamese; read in English as song, it also evokes a canon of poetry such as William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience.
A limited-edition artist’s book, co-published by CPW and 1080PRESS, weaves together Vuong’s words and images, extending his deeply personal vision across visual and literary forms.
Upcoming event:
As part of CPW Conversations series, Ocean Vuong will be in conversation with An-My Lê on Saturday, April 18, starting at 3pm. More information soon on cpw.org/conversations.
Ocean Vuong : SỐNG
January 31 – May 10, 2026
CPW Kingston
25 Dederick St.
Kingston, NY 12401
Thursday to Sunday 11am – 5pm
Free admission
cpw.org
