Seeing With the Heart: An Intimate Conversation with Ngoc Minh Ngo, Photographer & Author

Step into a world where nature, memory, and visual storytelling come alive. In this intimate episode of the AART we sit down with acclaimed photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo to explore the quiet poetry of her work—where gardens breathe, rooms hold emotion, and the natural world whispers its narratives. Ngoc shares her personal creative journey from Vietnam to New York, revealing how cultural heritage, personal history, and an intimate connection with place shape her artistic voice. We dive into her photographic methods, her deep love of gardens and botanical subjects, and the emotional resonance behind her books including In Bloom, Eden Revisited, and more. With honesty and warmth, Ngoc reflects on:The meditative process behind her photographyThe emotional depth of botanical and interior imageryHow she translates memory and stillness into visual formThe role of culture, heritage, and homeHer evolution as an artist and authorThis soulful conversation invites listeners to slow down, look more deeply, and find meaning in the overlooked spaces around us. Whether you’re a photographer, artist, or creative seeking inspiration, this episode offers a tender, reflective journey into art, identity, and belonging.Keywords:Ngoc Minh Ngo interview, photographer podcast, photography podcast, botanical photography, garden photography, photo books, art podcast, intimate interview, artist storytelling, creative journey, cultural heritage, design photography, AART podcast, Chris Stafford interview, author interview, contemporary photographyBIOVietnamese photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo. Ngoc was born in Vietnam in 1963 and grew up during the Vietnam War. Her father, Chau Minh Ngo, was a colonel in the South Vietnam Army and her mother Phi Truong became a nurse's aide after raising eight children. Ngoc was the sixth child—she has four sisters and three brothers. Despite enduring a brutal war, Ngoc describes her childhood as enchanting and beautiful. Her parents did all they could to protect their family and offer some normalcy to those troubling times by spending time on the beach. At the age of 12, shortly before the end of the war in 1975, the family were evacuated to the US and settled in Sacramento, California where, with the help of sponsors, they began a new life. Ngoc described herself as a very shy and reserved child but that did not hinder her development. She found her own way to the University of California, Berkeley where she earned a BA followed by a Masters of Landscape Design at Columbia University. After spending some time traveling to Japan and Europe Ngoc made her way to New York with a view to working in painting restoration. But after a chance encounter while working on a feature film she discovered her true passion was to be photography, so she learned black & white photography and developing. Ngoc's images have been published The World of Interiors, T Magazine, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Cabana, and House & Garden UK. She is also the author of five books: Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature; In Bloom: Creating and Living with Flowers, and Eden Revisited: A Garden in Northern Morocco, The House of a Lifetime, and New York Green. She is currently working on a new book entitled Roses in the Garden inspired by her father’s death. She has, she says, always been independent and self-contained, paving her own way as a refugee and re-imaging her life as a reflection through the beauty of the images she creates.  Ngoc and her husband, the photographer Julian Wass, live in New York. They have a daughter Lily who works in public health and is also a poet. Ngoc’s website: https://www.ngocminhngo.com/Instagram: @minh_ngoc https://www.instagram.com/minh_ngoc Ngoc’s playlist:"The Rip by Portishead (I love Beth Gibbons, both with Portishead and her solo work)The Spoils by Massive Attack with Hope Sandoval (I'm a fan of both Hope Sandoval and Massive Attack) Wildfires by Sault (A song about George Floyd that happens to be very catchy)Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez (Poignant song about her relationship with Bob Dylan)Purple Rain by Prince (bog fan of Prince for his fearless originality and incomparable talent)Halo by Ane Brun (Ane Brun is brilliant at reinterpreting other people's song in her inimitable way) Hope We Meet Again by Brit Marling (I love her folksy songs)La Rua Madureira (I love this French interpretation of an iconic bossa nova song)Paradis Perdu by Christine and the Queens (I love the way she combines one of the favorite songs of my childhood with a Kanye song and makes it completely her own)." Ngoc’s favorite female artists:Agnes MartinAnni AlbersRuth AsawaHilma af KlintKiki Smith Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramAART on FacebookEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.A Hollowell Studios ProductionInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

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