Biography

Vieno James is an artist and student of International Relations based in New York City. The content within his multivalent practice stems from an amalgamation of stories, materials, and experience. Vieno is currently enrolled in the Visual Arts MFA Program at Rutgers University with a fellowship at the Mason Gross School of Art. While completing his BFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), he became a recipient of the competitive C.H. Rhodes Scholarship and the Fine Arts Special Department Grant. Vieno has exhibited nationally and internationally. He has completed residency programs/research projects in Japan, Egypt, Kuwait, Italy, Hawaii, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Easter Island. He has given public artist talks in New York, Georgia, and Japan. And, has been featured by national and international media outlets including CBS, Artsy.net, and Quiet Lunch Magazine. Complementary to his studying of art, culture and history, and his travels around the world, Vieno studies International Relations online with courses from UC Louvain, Tsinghua, University of Michigan, and University of Naples Frederico. He often frequents panel events and speeches at Asia Society, reads selected chapters of USC Title 22 and books from/about politicians and diplomats, and keeps up with world affairs through podcasts and videos from think-tanks online. He plans to get a second masters in International Relations and join the Foreign Service or work at a think-tank in the future. He is affiliated with multiple organizations: Council on Foreign Relations Campus, Rotaract at the UN - Rotary International, All Souls Nuclear Disarmament Task Force, and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. He a Chair Member of UNICEF-SVA, as the project manager and leading the club’s advocacy initiatives.