Nguyen’s latest series, By The Roadside, focuses on street and urban landscapes, architectural objects and the little details that make Germany, Austria and Italy unique.

The photos were taken during lockdowns and focus a spotlight on the colours and shapes of each carefully-framed scene which unveil buildings, textures, people, streets and vehicles which one might encounter on a spontaneous walk. 

The pandemic setting shines a fresh perspective on the often-mundane elements of our surroundings from empty football stadiums or a lone shadow of a building gracing the cobbled streets below. 

Another specific focus of Nguyen’s within this series is geometric lines and shapes. You can almost see an ongoing hunt for perfection, too, where all the elements, whether colour, light or surface textures, harmonise to bring us photographs that are as much impressive as they are revealing. 

“If we walk with open eyes, we can see interesting, beautiful, but also ugly things on the roadside every day,” Michael explains in an interview with Münchner Merkur. “And if we look at the things around us not only with open eyes but also with an open heart and mind, we will discover a world that is otherwise closed to us: sometimes spectacular. Sometimes ordinary, but surprisingly wondrous. Whether it’s a view of a modern building, a glimpse of a construction site, a riverbank, a bus stop, or simply a footprint someone has left on the opposite side of the pavement.”

Based in Gauting near Munich since 2015, Nguyen has taken a break from creativity and started devoting himself entirely to art again in 2018. His work focuses on seemingly everyday things, giving them a new perspective and a new soul through a subjective lens.

By the Roadside will go on display at Bosco Gauting in Munich from 8 March until 5 May 2022. In the meantime, you can enjoy browsing through Michael’s series at nguyensminiaturen.de.