CFGNY, known for its self-described “vaguely Asian” approach to art and fashion, is making a significant impact this spring. The collective is part of a group exhibition at Pioneer Works, focusing on Asian fashion’s production and representation. They have transformed the third floor into a shipping container lined with cardboard, featuring studio portraits taken in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a burgeoning hub for fashion. Later this month, Amant will unveil a ceramics and water clock exhibition inspired by the No Name Painting Association, which opposed Socialist Realism during China’s Cultural Revolution.
For the Whitney Biennial, which opens to the public on Sunday, CFGNY has created an architectural installation with translucent walls and stretched plastic. This structure offers fragmented views of ceramics, visitors, and a large soft caterpillar centerpiece. CFGNY’s name has multiple interpretations, including “Concept Foreign Garments New York” and “Cute Friend Group New York,” reflecting the playful essence of their work that spans video, performance, sculpture, and more. As member Ten Izu stated, their project critiques the reductive signifiers of authenticity while maintaining a playful tone.
During a recent Zoom interview, the collective’s three members—Ten Izu, Daniel Chew, and Tin Nguyen—discussed their collaborative approach and studio dynamics. The group was formed in the early 2010s when Chew and Nguyen met in New York, later joined by Izu and former member Kirsten Kilponen. Their work has included a fashion show at Japan Society and a bar in SculptureCenter’s basement. The artists have explored themes such as digital exhaustion and the perception of China as a mass production specter in Western imagination.
The CFGNY studio is centered on collaboration, with various production stations spread across two rooms. The artists rotate among these stations, allowing for an array of projects to be juggled simultaneously. Their current focus is on ceramics and sculpture-making for the Amant show, involving 13 other artists in the creation of tiles. Although none of these collaborators, including CFGNY, are traditional ceramicists, the collective embraces the challenge, creating pieces that are “fractured” and “mended together,” as Chew describes.
Nguyen’s tinkering skills, influenced by his father’s work as an electrician, are evident in CFGNY’s creations, such as kinetic sculptures for the Amant show. These sculptures utilize water, gears, and valves to tell time, embodying the resourceful and innovative spirit that the collective identifies as “vaguely Asian.” By inviting artists to their studio, CFGNY deepens relationships within their community, continually expanding and evolving their artistic collaborations.
