Exploring Chaos in Fashion with CFGNY
CFGNY, the self-proclaimed “vaguely Asian” art and fashion collective, is making waves this spring with several high-profile exhibitions and projects. At Pioneer Works, they are part of a group exhibition exploring Asian fashion, where they’ve transformed the space into a cardboard-lined shipping container, showcasing studio portraits from Ho Chi Minh City—an emerging fashion hub. Later, their show at Amant will feature ceramics and water clocks inspired by the No Name Painting Association, reflecting a collaborative spirit against Socialist Realism during China’s Cultural Revolution. For the Whitney Biennial, CFGNY has created an architectural installation with translucent walls and stretched plastic, offering fragmented sightlines to view ceramics and interact with a giant soft caterpillar centerpiece.
CFGNY stands for “Concept Foreign Garments New York,” though the collective humorously adapts the acronym to other meanings like “Cute Fucking Gay New York” or “Cancelled Forever Gone New York” on their website. This playful and slippery approach defines their work across various mediums, such as video, performance, and sculpture.
In Asian-American discourse, CFGNY’s approach to identity is seen as refreshing, expanding rather than constraining identity concepts. Ten Izu, one of CFGNY’s members, states that their work critiques reductive signifiers of authenticity in a playful manner.
The collective, comprising Izu, Daniel Chew, and Tin Nguyen, with a past member Kirsten Kilponen, emphasizes collectivity. They came together in New York, evolving from modeling collaborations to establishing CFGNY in 2016. They have staged fashion shows, operated a bar at SculptureCenter, and transformed Cooper Hewitt into a provocative showroom critiquing “Asian” design. Collaborations with artists like Tao Hui explore themes such as digital exhaustion, mass production, and bootlegging.
Chew, with a filmmaking background, Nguyen from painting, and Izu from studio art and ethnic studies, find each project a new learning experience. Their studio, modest in size, accommodates different production stations reflecting project needs. Currently, it’s set up for ceramics and sculpture, preparing for their Amant show with 13 artists collaborating on tile creation.
While CFGNY navigates ceramics with inexperience, their work embraces a “messy” aesthetic, characterized by fractures and mending—a beauty in chance, as they describe it. Their projects embody tinkering and resourcefulness, drawing from Nguyen’s background in electronics influenced by his electrician father.
Beyond art-making, CFGNY prioritizes relationship-building, inviting artists to their studio to deepen community connections through collaboration. Each project seeks to dig deeper, expanding on these relationships, while showcasing CFGNY’s distinctive and engaging approach to identity and artistry.