KVT – Monkey Business at Manzi

KVT lolls about with langurs

Although some readers may think I’m a Manzi shareholder with the good PR I give it, I must admit that I’m just an interested bystander watching an interesting new art enterprise establish itself. I’m not even a valued customer yet (though I must admit that its cabernet and its hot chocolate are some of the best value drinks in town and its guava juice to die for -and its staff are unobtrusively welcoming).

It’s mainly that I think that with the management savvy it has in the local and national art scenes it could become a very strong entity in the commercial art gallery sector…and it’s worth my time to give it a boost now and then. It’s already got a strong selection of works on show and for sale by well known and obscure artists at prices to make you gasp…at their lowness- as well as a select few at their highness.

It debuted part of its exhibition space late last year with an intelligent installation piece by rich Streitmatter-Tran from down south (which some mistook to be a new mini-franchise of ‘Elite fitness’).

Now one of its snazzy little galleries has a debut solo of small works on paper by author and artist, Suzi Garner. These pen, ink and watercolor works are a really interesting combination of 2D and 3D diorama pieces, beautifully presented by the gallery and nicely and simply framed.

Initially the drawings were made by Suzi to be photographed and used as images in her new graphic story about the extremely endangered Langurs on Cat Ba Island. The drawings proved to be too inviting and Suzi was inveigled into having them framed and exhibited….and when you see the whimsical, sometimes gothically tinged imagery, you’ll probably agree with the inveiglers that it was the ideal end result.

The book, ‘The Lonely Langur’ was instigated by Suzi and the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project to draw public attention to the predicament ofVietnam’s rarest primate. The success of Suzi’s first graphic book, published two years ago, using pen and ink drawings, was a prime motivation.

The framed works are on sale very inexpensively as singles or in sets and their prices fit with Manzi’s ethos of providing high quality art work at affordable prices.

It’s worthwhile visiting the gallery cum art space to see Suzie’s art work and even sit with a drink and a copy of the printed tale in the midst of them. I guarantee you’ll become nicely acquainted with the delightful animals as well as the delicate artwork

The book (which is an artwork in itself) is also inexpensively on sale at Manzi as will be Suzi’s first novella, ‘A Death inHanoi’ as soon as a reprinting is available. This little work has been a favorite at book retailers and is exquisitely presented.

Other small-and larger- art works on show and for sale at Manzi can be seen in the following images.

Apart from the possibilities that I see Manzi having as an important player in the commercial art spectrum, it has already begun to establish a reputation in the art talk arena. Perhaps it will become a place of and for serious cultural dialogue and discussion….I have high hopes!

Apologies to the readers who thought that because I’d done a preview of the little langur’s book launch then I’d let the little chap have a rest….but that was before I’d had a good look at the curating of the work about him.

Quality images from Manzi. Poor quality by me