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Understanding contemporary Vietnamese arts

Paintings by a Vietnamese contemporary artist - from Vietnam Eye
Paintings by a Vietnamese contemporary artist – from Vietnam Eye

Since I started pursuing ceramics, I’ve always wanted to know more about Vietnamese arts in general, and contemporary Vietnamese arts in particular. I am usually drawn to traditional themes: folk paintings, the use of traditional color palettes, etc. I imagine how it is like to translate these cultural elements into clay. And naturally, one of the questions appears in my mind is “Has anyone done this before?”. I started searching for “Vietnamese sculptors”, “Vietnamese ceramics artists”, “Vietnamese ceramicists”; but I did not find much information. I broadened my search to “Vietnamese artists”, “contemporary Vietnamese artists”; there is more information, but not abundant. There is very little reliable and comprehensive write-up or material about the how contemporary Vietnamese arts develops over time that is available online or accessible to me. There are some short articles here and there, but it is hard to have an overall understanding of the state of contemporary Vietnamese arts, and where it stands regionally and internationally.

The most recent reference about contemporary Vietnamese arts that I came across and considered unbiased is the book “Vietnam Eye”. Although it is a marketing product of AIA, I let myself trust that this is a genuine social project. The sad news is that there is only one paragraph about Vietnamese sculptors, and there is not any photo of their sculptures. The good news is I learnt more about contemporary Vietnamese arts.

Painting seems to be the dominant form in the art scene, followed by installation and performance. As I try to understand why clay sculpture has not been popular have my own theory about why these three forms are more favored widely implemented by local artists. Tools and resources for painting are more available and easier to be transported (and imported). 2D art is also more intuitive, in the sense that people have been interacting with various 2D forms for a long time: through writing, traditional paintings, books etc. Installation is flexible; there is no limit on choices of materials or space. Performance – in my understanding, is also easy to implement, since the body is the center of the art form. Other forms of arts like video art, multi-media art, interactive art; are also intuitive to comprehend and friendly to approach for the same reason: they are parts of our daily life in one way or another.

Installation - Contemporary Vietnamese Arts - from Vietnam Eye
Installation – Contemporary Vietnamese Arts – from Vietnam Eye

Clay sculpture, on the other hand – may not be common for several reasons. The most obvious reason is logistics. Clay itself requires its own manufacturing and distributing process.  Moreover, the process to produce a final clay product is long and requires heavy, complex equipment like kilns. In an extreme scenario, it also needs not only equipment but also knowledge to execute special firing techniques.

At the same time, sculpture, whether made out of clay, stone or any other materials, is a 3D practice which is different from 2D. Sculpting a human head is different from drawing it. I used to find myself building a head the same way as I draw – and that usually turns out to be a hysterical disaster. I also believe that contemporary sculpture requires a different mindset and skillsets compared to other types of sculptures, such as the traditional buddhas that can be found in temples, or sculpture in “government arts” which will be explained later.

It is also important to mention that popularity should be put in the historical context of Vietnam. There were several milestones that shifted the direction for the local art scene, and Doi Moi is the one that has the most significant impact. Doi Moi happened in the 80s where the country became more open to receive influence from other countries. is Doi Moi is a milestone politically, economically, socially and culturally. Before Doi Moi, artists were idealists and the majority of their works depicted an ideal world, romance, poetic and lovely objects. After Doi Moi, artists under foreign influence started looking for and defining their own voices. Their artworks portrait challenges, crisis, conflicts – in their own personal lives as well as of the country.

Installation - Contemporary Vietnam arts - from Vietnam Eye
Installation – Contemporary Vietnam arts – from Vietnam Eye  

The “third-wave” generation of artists had a strong connection with the international community, they received significant support from foreign embassies, cultural centers, and funds, curators and artists: exhibition venues, financial assistance, international promotion. The rise of these artists led to the foundation and existence of contemporary art facilities in the country that embraced one or more “foreign” elements: curators, sponsors, residency programs, etc.

“However, these facilities focus on a small group of artists failed them in discovering and introducing new artists over the past decade. Before 2000, everyone was enthusiastic about discovering Vietnamese talents whose works were unique and original. But after that milestone, they seemed to settle with those artists who had that foreign influence in their works.” – as written in Vietnam Eye

Personally, for easy reference, I “categorize” contemporary Vietnamese arts into two types: the academic arts and the practical arts. Academic arts, in my mind, is more abstract. It has a layer of philosophy, it is a medium for artists to express their opinions, feelings, or attitudes about certain issues. Vietnam is still going through the transition phase from a traditional, conservative culture to a modern mindset, an open lifestyle. In this context, the issues raised by contemporary artists are usually societal issues; the artists usually question, try to find the answers, or find a way to freely express themselves while understanding that their expressions still have to happen within a limit. Their expression, through their arts, can be extremely abstract. It probably can be interpreted and comprehended by only certain groups of people who share the same background. These groups can be a small network, but they seem to be a close, tight group. It is hard for new, young artists to “break-in”.

On the other hand, practical arts, in my opinion, is typically represented by very young generations. Their expressions are less abstract, the medium used can be simpler, and the messages are usually straightforward. The reason I call it practical arts is because it is practical. I was surprised (and delighted) to see many artists work on commission. Practical arts is easier to digest and more appeal to a bigger audience. Artists’ work can spread quickly over social media, it is available digitally, yet it is challenging for the artists to maintain their popularity. “Practical arts” – the way I understand and perceive it in Vietnamese, to most Vietnamese people –  is possibly the most familiar form of arts (nghệ thuật). At the same time, it may not be considered as “arts” for “arts” should neither be straightforward nor practical.

My understanding and opinion about arts, and contemporary Vietnamese arts will probably change over time. I am curious to see a year from now what I will think about it.

I also came to understand that there are four extreme segments of contemporary Vietnamese arts:

  • Governmental art: this segment refers to the artworks that embrace propaganda and ideology-based values (one of the consequences of the Soviet Union influence) This is the most powerful segment because it is backed and protected by the government: a single monument can be invested as much as $20M USD.
  • Commercial art: artworks that are handled by galleries, dealers, and brokers. One of the big issues they have to deal with is forgery and reproduction, as brought up by The New York Times.
  • Embassy art: referring to the third-wave generation of artists above: embracing international factors and imported globalized values.
  • Independent artists: they are either benefit or abused by the three segments above.

I wonder where I fit in those four segments. I am independent – partly because I am abroad and I am self-taught. For the same reason, I don’t fall under embassy art or commercial art. I will never want to get into governmental art (that is something should be get rid of asap). I try to find a way to contribute to the Vietnamese art scene. But navigating it is not easy – especially when I am oversea most of the time, let alone being successful in it. Although I started my art career in the US, I identify myself as a Vietnamese artist and I hope to successfully promote contemporary Vietnamese arts and represent contemporary Vietnamese artists in Vietnam or internationally with my practice.

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