KVT – Art Vietnam……The Second Decade
The self portraits by Nguyen Van Phuc
Nguyen Thi Chinh Le’s very delicate, yet intense, silk paintings and associated, small bronze sculptures
those strong feminist carved wood print blocks and deep and dark self portraits by Ly Tran Quynh Giang
Nguyen Quang Huy’s misty blue peaens of love for the ethnic women in Ha Giang’s rocky reaches
Le Quoc Viet’s calligraphic ceramic installations
the mature, mellow, glowing canvasses of Nguyen Cam
nom script flowing like black and white eddies from the brushes of the Gang of Five
and the billowing stripes in Nguyen The Son’s innovative New Higher Level silk painting series.
To wander the auxiliary galleries up and down and around the stairs was always tantalizing – catching glimpses of the work of some of other artists in the Art Vietnam stable of talent. Perhaps a few of Dinh Cong Dat’s whimsical school kid sculptures
or the students squashed into blocks by Pham Ngoc Duong
amazing surreal jet planes by Nguyen Manh Hung
elaborate and intricate woodblocks by Pham Cam Thuong
a couple of lacquers by Diep Quy Hai or Mac Dac Linh
or the often candy colored wall sculptures by Kim Tran that always push my happiness buttons
Not that Art Vietnam was a new comer to Hanoi’s art scene in 2007. It had started its career five years earlier in 2002, not too far away at 30 Hang Than, in one of the most peaceful tunnel houses you’re ever likely to encounter.
Thanks KVT – this is a nice piece. Like you, I was disappointed when I heard the Nguyen Khac Nhu gallery was closing – it’s a great building with it’s secret staircases and big airy rooms – but more so because it housed Viet Art’s excellent collections and exhibitions so well – they deserved a good setting. I particularly liked Simon Redington’s print folios and Ly Tran Quynh Giang’s wood blocks. Seeing your photographs of some of those works reminded me how lucky we were to have Viet Art. It would’ve been a shame if we’d lost it completely – so thank you Suzanne – I’m looking forward to any future exhibitions in the new setting.
Really enjoyed and appreciated this article – thank you.
Suzanne’s past and ongoing contribution to the development and increased international exposure of the Vietnamese contemporary art scene has been enormous – she is a treasure – as is her showcase home.
Andrew FitzGerald