Saigon’s youngest graffiti crew speak about vandalism, jail time and their passion for art. Every weekend or so a group of teenagers can been seen gathering in front of a long stretch of washed out wall near an alley off Dang Van Bi street, adjacent to the Truong Tho milk factory. “You hoodlum punks. Go vandalize… Read more »
Part acrobatics, part dance, part circus, AO is all entertainment It’s known as the machine and right now at least, it’s anything but well-oiled. In this particularly difficult sequence, dozens of bamboo baskets must make their way up to the top of a three-level platform, then zigzag down bamboo poles in a human-powered perpetual motion machine moving at… Read more »
Art greater than the sum of its parts…. Sand art usually summons up images of intricate sand castles and sculptures created on wide open beaches that exist for only a short time before being washed away by the tide. However, Vietnamese sand art is anything but. This decade old art is created in tiny workshops around… Read more »
Sketching the textures of Vietnam… “In the secular West, where nothing is sacred, everything seems hidden; yet in Asia, where nothing is hidden, everything is sacred.” ― Steve McCurry, photographer of the iconic “Afghan Girl” image. McCurry was speaking of India, “where millions have no home but the streets, virtually every life event is carried… Read more »
The disappearing art of calligraphy…. Hai is a calligrapher. Here is how his days go: From 9am to 7pm, he sits in his usual spot on a small plastic chair at the corner of Dien Bien Phu and Truong Dinh in District 3 where he draws, writes and sells his creations to tourists, passers-by or… Read more »
A unique project brings international artists to Vietnam A dozen chatty Korean ladies are gathered around a large wooden table laden with tapas-sized snacks. The mood is jovial, fueled by copious amounts of makgeolli, a milky Korean rice wine. The small crowd has gathered for an art talk and exhibition by Korean artist, Andy Khun, whose ink drawings range from whimsical to disturbing… Read more »
Artist Barbara Anchisi draws inspiration from her new life in Vietnam Ensconced in her sunny third floor studio directly on the Saigon River, Italian artist Barbara Anchisi is perfectly happy watching the world float by. It’s no surprise then that boats and barges inspired her latest collection, Cargo, a series of mixed media prints, photos and paint. “It’s not just boats that carry… Read more »
‘Art promoter’ Alex McMillan wants to propel the art movement to the forefront with his latest project Alex, tell us about yourself. AM: Since I was 12 I was interested in audio production. I used to have a Tascam 4-Track in my bedroom on which I would record tracks of me howling and playing my guitar. I made music up… Read more »
Hanoi artist Nguyen Hung Cuong puts a new twist on a millenia-old art Ancient Japanese legend has it that anyone with the devotion and patience needed to fold 1,000 paper cranes will please the gods thereby earning one wish. If that’s true, Nguyen Hung Cuong has a few wishes coming his way for his unique 21st century take on the… Read more »
The second half of our two part series where Oi features local galleries and the homegrown artists they are helping to nurture Images by Quinn Ryan Mattingly Galerie Quynh 65 De Tham, D1; Level 2, 151/3 Dong Khoi, D1; www.galeriequynh.com Quynh Pham, Director I’ve noticed that the industry is dominated by mostly men, why is… Read more »