Meet Lucy Phung | Painter/muralist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucy Phung and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve been freelancing part time for over 10 years. I got laid off from my day job when Covid hit, so with nothing to lose I decided to go full force with my art career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I specialize in creating bespoke artwork for private collectors, events, and businesses. My style varies from illustrative to hyper-realistic, however I am best known for my detail work and portraitures.
My personal works are largely influenced by my culture as a first generation Chinese-American. I love creating colorful pieces that evoke deep complex emotions like nostalgia.
My biggest accomplishments include being awarded 2023 ASC Emerging Creators Fellowship, and having my work displayed in the Charlotte Museum of History in North Carolina and the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum in Vietnam.
Nothing about being an artist is easy. With no formal training my skills come from a decade of obsessive self-study, practice, perseverance, and dedication.
There’s a lot of trial and error involved, whether it be in the creation process itself or trying out different avenues of selling art. As a full fledged business, making art is only half the battle. The other half is running the business, PR, marketing, sales, client relations, book keeping, hunting down opportunities, and so much more. It’s easy to fail as an artist. You really have to have grit and thick skin to make it in this line of work. I believe my strength and determination largely came from being a child of immigrants. They taught me to take a leap of faith and to work relentlessly towards my dream.
I have unwavering faith in my art and the profound messages it carries, as it is my medium to express not just my story, but also yours.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m still new to the area but hitting up Dirt Dog is nonnegotiable, Little Tokyo, La Luz de Jesus Gallery (HIGHLY recommend), Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, Lunasia Dim Sum House, and street tacos are a must!
Also Express Pawn Shop and TNT Mexican Restaurant to check out a couple of my local murals 😉

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First I’d like to thank Gloria Mejia, an exceptional painter from Colombia, who was one of the first people to recognize my talent and pushed me to pursue art.
Alex DeLarge (@alxdlrg), a talented muralist who introduced me to spray painting and mentored me into becoming the muralist I am today.
My early clients who believed in me when I barely believed in myself.
And of course friends and family for their encouragement, support, and inspiring me to keep going in a career that’s anything but stable.

Website: https://aluphstudio.wixsite.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1ucysushi/