The art world in Ho Chi Minh City is more accurately described as art worlds: two separate and parallel planets whose orbits rarely cross. On one world is the very small handful of curated, international-style galleries such as Galerie Quynh and San Art. On the other is the large and relatively silent majority of young local artists with few outlets for their work and scant interaction with the gallery scene.

The new exhibition at San Art, “Chi Toi—My Eldest Sister,” is a meaningful attempt to bridge that divide. Co-curated by gallery co-director Zoe Butt and artist Tammy Nguyen, the show features work from 20 recent graduates of the HCMC Fine Arts University, almost all of whom, according to Nguyen, had never even visited San Art before.

Artists were asked to respond to a curatorial prompt: the well-known song “Chi Toi,” which tells the story of an eldest sister’s traditional obligations. Part One of the show features the work of ten men and is entitled “Brother”. Part Two, “I am the eldest Sister” opens on December 16 and will present the work of ten young women.

The results of the current exhibit are uneven (not surprising given the youth of the artists), although a couple of the pieces are quite striking—in particular Nguyen Xuan Nguyen’s “Well,” a finely balanced geometrical mound of glass. However, the meaning of the show is at least as important as the level of the work; it is by far the most significant effort  yet to bring the Vietnamese art worlds a little bit closer.

NGUYEN XUAN NGUYEN - "Giếng" - 'Well' - Glass, areca fruit, mirror

Nguyen Xuan Nguyen, who grew up near Hanoi, this well symbolizes womanhood. But his well is fractured and made of glass, a material pressurized in its making, a process that references the social responsibilities and expectations of this eldest sister. Within his well is an ‘areca’ fruit, commonly associated with weddings in Vietnam. If this well is disturbed, the areca fruit is destroyed, thus the danger in disturbing the tradition of family life.

NGUYEN XUAN NGUYEN - "Giếng" - 'Well' - Glass, areca fruit, mirror

HOANG CONG MINH - "Ranh giới" - 'Frontier' - Acrylic on canvas

Hoang Cong Minh responded to the rhythm of the song, the rise and fall of its melody affecting the temper of his brushstrokes as birds, symbols of liberation, cross the face of a woman whose profile seems caught in photographic freeze-frame.

HOANG CONG MINH - "Ranh giới" - 'Frontier' - Acrylic on canvas

MAI THANH NAM - "Mộ Chị Tôi" - 'Grave of My Eldest Sister' - Mixed media

Mai Thanh Nam constructs a pyramid, a black fragmented structure where a sea of faces swirl in a needy frenzy around this metaphor of woman

MAI THANH NAM - "Mộ Chị Tôi" - 'Grave of My Eldest Sister' - Mixed media

DO THANH LANG - "Không Gian Của Chị- 'Her Space'' - Oil and acrylic on canvas

Do Thanh Lang paints our tragic heroine in her private quarters, tired and drained from her day’s domestic chores. Her room is laid bare, as is her body. Her true self is given freedom in this quiet and undisturbed sanctuary.

LE NGUYEN CHINH - "Thị" [This term was once traditionally the middle name for a Vietnamese girl] - Oil and silk on canvas

Le Nguyen Chinh is drawn to the perceived naiveté of this elder lady, who clings to her fish as a symbol of knowledge and fertility. It is restrained by its watery world, as is she in her familial responsibilities.

LE NGUYEN CHINH - "Thị" [This term was once traditionally the middle name for a Vietnamese girl] - Oil and silk on canvas

TRUONG CONG TUNG - "Không Có Sự Hướng Dẫn Cho Lựa Chọn" - There Is No Guide for Choice - Ink on canvas

Truong Cong Tung depicts the dilemma of this tragedy through the earthly metaphors of woman as self-less, as a life-giving source with dependents. She is the earth that gives nourishment, the boulder of strength surrounded by the customs and obligations of tradition.

LE NHAT THANH - "Chị Tôi" - 'My Sister' - Acrylic on fabric, paper

For Le Nhat Thanh, his choice of materials speaks of that other time, of a rural life. His stylistic treatment of his ‘lady’ has her obscured by a graphic series of squares and circles that overlap, but never join, alluding to the lack of attraction between a woman of this dilemma and a possible suitor.

LE NHAT THANH - "Chị Tôi" - 'My Sister' - Acrylic on fabric, paper

LE DINH CHUNG - "Hồi tưởng về những giấc mơ" - 'Recalling Dreams' - Gauze, cotton, metal, plastic - Variable dimensions

Le Dinh Chung takes us into the dreamscapes of this eldest sister. Here the gauze used to mend wounds is re-configured into box-like clouds where a baby peacefully rests.

LE DINH CHUNG - "Hồi tưởng về những giấc mơ" - 'Recalling Dreams' - Gauze, cotton, metal, plastic - Variable dimensions

NGUYEN THANH LAN - "Áo Dài" - 'Ao Dai Lab' - Silk, plexiglass, ink, wooden shoes - Variable dimensions

Nguyen Thanh Lan’s eldest sister’s innocence is remembered by the utilization of her white childhood ao dai as it hangs suspended and dipped into a pool of black ink. Over time, this ink will seep into this silk, transforming her youth, reflecting the struggle and labor of her familial obligations.

NGUYEN THANH LAN - "Áo Dài" - 'Ao Dai Lab' - Silk, plexiglass, ink, wooden shoes - Variable dimensions

PHAM TRAN VIET NAM - 'Bi kịch" - 'Tragedy' - Oil on canvas

Focusing on the last refrain, Pham Tran Viet Nam invites us into a surreal, near grotesque world of trauma and comedy where men competitively vie for the attention of an available woman. Devastatingly, this eldest sister dies and is placed on the empty grave for her desired, yet not found, love.

PHAM TRAN VIET NAM - 'Bi kịch" - 'Tragedy' - Oil on canvas 

PHAM TRAN VIET NAM - 'Bi kịch" - 'Tragedy' - Oil on canvas

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25 

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25

Exhibition Opening Night: Thursday November 25 - Artists and curators

Chị Tôi

A group exhibition in two-stages showcasing 20 local emerging artists

Co-Curated by: Tammy Nguyễn and Zoe Butt

Date: November 25 - December 11

Venue: Sàn Art, 3 Mê Linh Street, Dist. Bình Thạnh 

Photos: San Art

Words: Tom M & Zoe Butt

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