Behind the “Quiet Dream”: Artist talk with Oh Soon-Hwa
07 pm – 08:30 pm, Thurs 04 Dec 2025
Matca Space for Photography,
48 Ngọc Hà, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
From the organizer:
In this talk, Korean photographer Oh Soon-Hwa will share the process behind her project Quiet Dream (2009–2012), in which she photographed young women from Tân Lộc, a small island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, colloquially referred to as the “Taiwan island” due to the high number of women entering marriages with Taiwanese men through matchmaking services. A limited number of photobooks of the same title will be available for purchase.
This series of photographs constitutes a collaborative effort between the photographer and the migrant brides-to-be. Instead of focusing on the hardships that push these young women to seek expatriation, the project aims at portraying the beauty of what they intend to leave behind, which includes their environment, the landscapes, their family and friends; in other words, people and places that they grew up with and have formed part of their identity. The work captures the in-between state where young women choose to leave behind what is familiar to step into an uncertain future, where everything is foreign, from the climate and landscapes to the language, culture, and people.
About the artist
Oh Soon-Hwa is an Associate Professor of Photography at the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She holds an EdD and an MA from Columbia University, along with an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Soon-Hwa’s photographic works explore the socio-economic impacts stemming from the swift societal changes brought about by climate change and globalization. They have been featured in close to 100 exhibitions worldwide, spanning the USA, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Noticeable venues include the Noorderlicht International Photo Festival, National Portrait Gallery (UK), Asian Art Museum (France), Lucca Photo Festival (Italy), Houston Fotofest (US), Pingyao International Photo Festival (China), Asian Civilization Museum (Singapore), and National Gallery (Singapore). Her monograph publications include From Art School to Art World (VDM, 2009), Quiet Dream (Onestar Press, 2018), Liminal Landscapes: 1940s-1960s (National Museum of Singapore, 2025), and Photographic Collection as Visual Methods (Routledge, forthcoming, 2026). She is currently working on a social documentary project, Steep Price: Weavers in Varanasi.
Follow updates on event’s page.
