By Willy Wilson | August 10, 2009

Quintessentially Vietnamese

Over the past few years, the whole world seems to be fascinated by contemporary Chinese art for its modern approach on Maoist propaganda style. The reminiscence of communist-styled art is presented in bold visuals and a cheerful manner, almost like a satire to the imposed positivity depicted on paintings during the days when Chairman Mao was in power. The major transformation of China from a homogeneous society into an astute, capitalistic country is precisely described by contemporary Chinese art.

The craving for such unique art continues, and now the market has seemingly set its sights on China’s long-time ally Vietnam which, until recently, has sat on the fringe of the Southeast Asian visual art circuit.

Much like China, Vietnamese expressive arts show a diverse and compelling look at Vietnamese society, identity, and history. But its connection with the United States and Southeast Asian neighbours has lent a multi-prismic perspective to the local arts scene.

The Valentine Willie Fine Art gallery, along with Singapore-based art critic and curator Lola Lenzi, presents seven contemporary Vietnamese artists in Intersection Vietnam: New Works from North & South. It is predicted that Vietnamese art will soon take over the global market. Investing a piece or two on contemporary Vietnamese art could be seen as a long-term investment.

Doi Moi
To understand contemporary Vietnamese arts is to examine the country’s 20th century history. Colonialism, nationalist revolt, North-South partition, the American war, and Ho Chi Minh’s communism have all shaped contemporary Vietnam, North and South, in singular ways.

In the last 15 years, the commodification of these nostalgic histories has permeated the local art scene. This phenomenon is known as Doi Moi. The romanticised 20th century history has resulted in Vietnam’s nascent art market fostering the production of various banal works of a purely commercial nature.

Despite the dominance of such works, however, a number of Vietnamese artists opt to operate on the margins of the mainstream. More often than not, these artists are recognised internationally rather than in their own country and have succeeded in giving Vietnamese expression an alternative face.

Set to present the complex and interconnected realities of today’s Vietnam through the art of emerging talent as well as more established artists,Intersection Vietnam: New works from North and South includes seven Vietnamese artists at various stages of their career. Through different media, these artists narrate Vietnam with contemporary sensibility.

The Artists
Internationally acclaimed artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen made his mark by joining the team responsible for the famed 2006 Helicopter/history video installation, The Farmers and the Helicopters, which is now part of New York’s Museum of Modern Art collection. For the Intersection Vietnam exhibition, Tuan Andrew Nguyen presents multi-media, trans-disciplinary installations reflecting Vietnam’s paradoxes and layered identity that are visually arresting and thoughtful.

Another veteran artist is Tran Luong and Vu Dan Tan. Tran Luong, who is considered Vietnam’s pioneer conceptual artist, is best known for his powerful video work which through humour and public interaction, probes Vietnam and Cambodia’s shared recent history.

Vu Dan Tan, on the other hand, is a multi-disciplinary artist who was amongst the first generation of practitioners to gain international prominence in the 90s. ForIntersection Vietnam, Vu Dan produces erotic sculptural installations from his ongoing Amazon metal armour series, as well as a sequence of new self-portraits.

A fresh perspective of Vietnam is brought to the table by Khanh Bui. Through paintings and ceramics, Bui brings his ironic yet sympathetic take on Vietnamese society’s idiosyncrasies. His work was recently selected for an exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland. But Saigon native Nguyen Thao offers a quirkier take on Vietnam society by exploring figurative painting using unctuous oil on canvas as a medium. Thao’s impasto depictions of prowling dogs are both edgy and energetic.

Meanwhile, painter and video artist Nguyen Quang Huy presents large-scale monochrome portraits of Vietnamese women. Quang Huy brings a contemporary sensibility to his portraiture of Vietnamese women as a broader implication of the social condition in the country.

A series of 11 digital photographs that depicts a fast-evolving Vietnam with a dash of dark history and a splash of future ambitions, aptly entitled Ideal Fall, is presented by Hoang Duong Cam. A Hanoi Fine Arts University graduate, Duong Cam has catapulted into international limelight through his photography work. With sophisticated technique, Duong Cam managed to capture visually poetic photographs with a whiff of rawness.

Check out Intersection Vietnam: New Works from North and South in the Valentine Willie Fine Art gallery in Bangsar from 8 July – 1 August.

Company/Seller Information

	Valentine Willie Fine Art gallery
	1st Floor, No 17. Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.