Getting to know Andrew Duong
Published on 29 September 2026
Andrew Duong is an artist based in Boonwurrung and Bunurong lands in Noble Park, whose work is driven by his perspective as a second-generation Cambodian.
Duong’s current Kingston Arts exhibition, Hand me down, features a collection of paintings referencing personal hand me downs that tell the stories of second-generation migrants and people born in the 90s. The works give new life to these items and recreates those that have been lost or passed on.
We asked Andrew three questions about his exhibition to learn more about the stories and personal experiences that inspire his work.
The strawberry is a recurring element throughout this exhibition. What is the significance of the strawberry and how did it become such a prominent theme in your work?
My mum and aunties all used to work in strawberry farms when we grew up. Many people who migrate to Australia, from countries like Cambodia, often work in strawberry farms. My mum described it as very tough work with low pay.
So, I think it speaks to the work ethic of my family but also reminds me of my childhood where strawberries were so abundant - to the point where we would get sick of them!
Thankfully, I’m no longer sick of strawberries and love what they represent to me personally.
At your exhibition opening, you spoke about the creation of the $20 and $50 notes. Could you share that story with us?
My sister and I used to give each other the same $20 note for our birthdays, eventually this became a $50 note and then eventually stopped. I love that we used to do this, as it feels like such a resourceful and ridiculous thing to do.
So, I worked with my sister on recreating these notes as paintings, altering the design to incorporate our own stories, Chinese Zodiac signs and more. We passed the paintings back and forth until they were complete.
Hand me down perfectly captures such a strong feeling of nostalgia. What is nostalgia to you? How does it influence your art?
For me nostalgia is a way to reflect on the love and gratitude I have for family and experiences that have shaped who I am today. From video games with my cousins to replicating the TV show Mr Squiggle with my sister, the nostalgic references in this exhibition are all bound by family connection.
Creating this series with a lens of nostalgia has made developing the work a really fun experience but also deeply meaningful at the same time.
Hopefully, the audience can find their own connections, feelings of nostalgia or even a sense of shared belonging when they see the works too.
Images by Gianna Rizzo
See Hand me down at Kingston Arts Centre until 31 Oct
Open weekly: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am - 4pm
Find out more about Hand me down