Sydney Bui (b. 2004, Charlotte, NC) is a contemporary painter currently based in Savannah, Georgia. Bui’s figurative mixed-media works are explorations of identity and history in bold color, informed through collection and research of materials. Fallacy and truth are throughlines of the work, with heritage and lived experiences as a queer Vietnamese American woman in the southern US are integrated subtlety.
Represented by SCAD Art Sales, Bui’s work has been featured in juried exhibitions most recently, the 2025 SCAD Fine Arts Showcase and in private collection. Small works of Bui’s have been featured in institutional spaces such as the SCAD Foundations collection in Deloitte Foundry.
She is expected to graduate with a BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2026.
Artist Statement
Identity is both quite personal and mysterious, known and unknown, and incredibly complex. Oftentimes, the fluid nature of identity becomes the root of disconnect between perceived reality versus truth. In exploring the relationship between the symbolic and pragmatic through painting, I work towards better understanding of the human psyche. More specifically, the idea of what someone may believe to be true, versus the actual undeniable truth.
Through mixed media and the layering of images, identity synthesizes with human constructs like history or sexuality, The relationship between these “layers” is very considered, intentionally created to engage both contemporary and historical dialogues. Methodical markmaking and measured use of abstraction anchor each piece with a sense of familiarity, while bright and bold tones allude to the impulsive energies throughout. Driven through a variety of research and collection, my work creates an archive of information and emotion. References to the digital and natural world situate my explorations as a conduit for memory in the contemporary era and allow audiences to reflect on the conflict inherent to introspection.