Tia-Thuy Nguyen was born in 1981 and raised in Hanoi, she is now in Ho Chi Minh City. Graduated from Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 2006, she gained a scholarship to study abroad at Kiev National Academy of Arts and Architecture, Ukraine, PhD in art in 2014.
Fine Arts Magazine (FAM): In 2019, Thuy Nguyen was one of the “50 most influential women in Vietnam” voted by Forbes Vietnam. Thuy Nguyen is now a successful female artist who inspires society. In the past, did little Tia-Thuy Nguyen ever think there would be a day like this? What chance led Tia-Thuy Nguyen to art?
Tia-Thuy Nguyen (T.TN): In the late 90s of last century, when I was in grade 10-11, all my friends started to choose university. Meanwhile, I still don’t know what I really want. I like to draw junk, instinctively. I myself do not notice and do not appreciate that creative ability. At that time, a close friend of mine wanted to take an exam in architecture, so he often took drawing lessons for exam preparation, so I took a few classes and realized my passion, but I didn’t like drawing in the architectural style. I went back to talk to my father, it was he who first oriented me to the University of Fine Arts. My father was also the person who allowed me to learn crafts and household arts from a young age. To this day, all those memories and skills from that childhood are still applied in my daily creative work.
Artist Tia-Thuy Nguyen (on the left) and journalist Hoang Anh
Tia-Thuy Nguyen next to a self-portrait.
FAM: In the 2000s when Thuy Nguyen studied at the School of Fine Arts, did the learning environment stimulate your passion much? A student with a passion for art like Thuy Nguyen is afraid that passive learning is difficult?
T.TN: I took the exam until the fourth time to get into Yet Kieu School (i.e. Vietnam University of Fine Arts). When I first entered, I was very passionate, but for some reason, after a while, I felt “fired”. Perhaps at that time I was not inspired, so I did not love the job, or because I was passive and lazy. The most obvious thing I noticed was the lack of connection with the international art community, the lack of an environment for art students to develop outside of school. Go to school every day, then wait for graduation. Fortunately, in 2006 I received a scholarship to continue my master’s degree in Ukraine; I decided to go to change the environment and challenge myself.
FAM: Wow, like a bird leaves its cage. Coming to Ukraine, having access to a new art education program and environment, did Thuy Nguyen notice a clear difference?
T.TN: Basically, technology is not much different, but there is a clear difference in the teacher-student relationship in the way of teaching. In Hanoi, in Yet Kieu School, a class has 20 to 25 students and the teacher will teach exactly a single curriculum to all 25 students in the way “teacher tells, students listen”. Meanwhile in Kiev, instructors will listen and find out the strengths of each student and direct them to develop those strengths. Roles have been swapped: “student proposes, teacher listens”. Maybe because the level of my class was then a master’s degree, not a freshman, so the teacher’s approach might be different. Another difference is the passion within each student. In Kiev, all my friends are extremely passionate and hardworking. They don’t mind snow, rain, or sunshine, to paint outdoors from 5 am. That also gives me more motivation to practice harder.
Tia-Thuy Nguyen (born 1981) – Silver Room’s stilt house structure is inspired by the Rong house of the Bahnar people, made from red oak wood, stylized to suit the nature and climate of the Aix en Provence region, France. Photo: Pham Anh Huy
Silver Room by Tia -Thuy Nguyen seen from above at Château La Coste. photo: Ngo Nhat Hoang
FAM: If you go to university and then go to graduate school, it’s still just going to school. Leaving school for a while and then continuing to study further is another story. How did you deal with “graduation”?
T.TN: Most fresh graduates feel bewildered. I think the term “artist” is an extremely abstract concept that so far few art schools in Vietnam have properly oriented. Art students after graduation do not know how they will develop their career, which path to follow? Drawing to order, designing, and teaching children are jobs to earn income, not to develop a career as an artist. Not only in Vietnam but also in many other parts of the world, young artists who have just graduated from school have to face the situation of uncertainties.
Tia-Thuy herself, after a long time studying away from her hometown, when returning to Vietnam, also felt lost, because the Vietnamese art scene when I returned in the early 2010s had changed so quickly. How many new spaces were born, many younger artists, the way of operation is also different from the old ones. At that time, I felt that my country had too much energy but not enough room to release it.
FAM: As an artist who has had time to observe, experience, and practice in real life in Vietnam, in your opinion, what has changed in the art space in Vietnam, since the 1990s until now?
T.TN: By the end of the 90s, as far as I know, art activities in Vietnam were still very limited, mainly exhibition activities under the framework of the Fine Arts Association or commercial galleries. There are only a few independent and experimental groups in the country such as Salon Natasha, Art Vietnam, Gang of Five, and later Nha San and other performances by Mr. Dao Anh Khanh in Vietnam, Hanoi. In the South, there is Group of Ten, Blue Space in Saigon. Everything is completely spontaneous, emotional, but in return there is also more freedom, especially in the post-Doi Moi period.
The silver block of Silver Room is made from 2 large monolithic stones, the outside is covered with sparkling silver litmus. Photo: Pham Anh Huy
TIA-THUY NGUYEN – A corner of the Silver Room at Château La Coste, France. 2018. Photo: Ngo Nhat Hoang
Since the year 2000 there has been a boom in independent artists’ spaces and groups, many new art forms have been promoted and practiced more widely. For example, San Art in Saigon specializes in experimental art, and Doclab in Hanoi specializes in art films. Commercially, there is another Galerie Quynh in Saigon, focusing solely on Vietnamese contemporary artists. In Hue, there is the New Space Art Foundation. From 2010 to now, there are more and more diverse activities of new spaces such as Dia Project, Sao La, Chaosdowntown, The Factory in Saigon; Then cafe, Mo Do in Hue; Domdom, Workroom Four, Vicas Studio, Cuca, VCCA, and more. And there’s so much more that I can’t list them all. Everything seems to be starting to work out, so I feel art is more rational now than it was 20 years ago.
FAM: Why is it “more rational”, is it because they don’t have to find their way alone anymore, but it’s already a path, a trend, and large-scale works are completed based on labor and technology. Artists sometimes just create ideas. It is clear that contemporary art today is extremely diverse in form and material. So, in your opinion, where is the position of “easel paintings” in a contemporary art world that is very fond of new forms such as installation, performance or video art? Isn’t painting “asymptotically backward” as some contemporary artists are thinking?
T.TN: Easel painting has always seemed to me to have an untenable position in the art world. Material in art is not like a fashion item, there is no “outdated” thing. I am fortunate to be able to travel to many places and observe art from two different perspectives: that of a practitioner and that of an art collector/investor. It is true that many contemporary artists today operate as a “factory”, meaning that they come up with ideas and have a team to build and complete their work. A lot of contemporary artists don’t need skill and technique, and the contemporary art world is accepting this. However, I am not advocating that. The works are monumental in size, sophisticated in technique, but not sure to create vibrations with a picture full of energy and personality of the artist. Painting has always been a “very direct contact” with the artist’s soul, a very personal expression. But the soul cannot be backward. Tia-Thuy herself has also tried to do location installation, also worked with a construction team to produce great works like Silver Room in France in 2018. But in the end, for me, painting is still the thing that “touches” my “inside” the most. The most important thing is that the work must fully express its ideas, and how to express it is from the personal inner self of each artist.
FAM: Currently, experimental practice is one of the ‘keywords’ of the contemporary art world. The search for new is always necessary, but think about it, between mastering a material and constantly changing and finding new materials, which one is more important, in your opinion?
T.TN: Experimenting with new materials or mastering and being faithful to a material depends on each stage in an individual artist’s career. There cannot be one answer or one formula that works for everyone. For me personally, the experimentation can go on for many years, in addition to the practices that I have mastered. For example, since I was 17 years old, I have experimented with painting with colored materials mixed with sand and placed on canvas, until now I am continuing to experiment so that I can both master how to mix colors with milk glue and control the quality of the paint. material so that the surface is most flexible and soft. Or there was a time when I really liked using acrylic because it was quick and caught up with my emotions, but after a while of working, I went back to oil paint because the more I “contemplate” it, the shallower the acrylic color becomes.
TIA-THUY NGUYEN – Underneath the Silver Room at Château La Coste, France. 2018.Photo: Pham Anh Huy
Tia-Thuy Nguyen inside the Silver Room. 2019.
Experimenting is essential to fostering creativity, so artists should experiment… However, half-baked experiments and research in an artist’s studio can’t always be arbitrarily “shown” to the public. I usually only show works that I have tested successfully, are completely satisfied with, and are most confident with. I think that’s how I respect the viewers.
FAM: Nowadays, the concept of “art” is not just “fine art”, i.e. painting or sculpture. Artists also do not only serve the aristocracy and glorify gods or social movements… So what is the role of contemporary artists in your opinion?
T.TN: Artists create, first of all, to satisfy their individual needs for expression. This comes from the most genuine vibrations, don’t carry too many things that are influenced by the outside. There are artists who are moved by a war, but there are people who just need to see the light at dawn to be full of emotions, like Monet! I don’t think art should carry any other duty than itself. Oscar Wilde once said, “Most works of art are utterly useless!” However, art still needs energy to touch people’s hearts, overcome all barriers of language and culture… The role of the artist is to live and continue to make that vibe continue to perform in society.
FAM: There are many conflicting opinions about “identity” and “ethnicity” in artworks. For example, some people think that works from Vietnam must show the spirit of ‘Vietnam’ and artists are considered to represent the “colors of the flag and colors of the shirt” of their homeland, like football. so. What do you think about this?
T.TN: As I said above, my point of view when making art is unrelated to what is outside of art. I do it for me personally, expressing my right to “speak”. I was born and raised in Vietnam, of course my work will be heavily influenced by Vietnamese stories. Often the artist cannot get rid of his or her roots. This country is an endless source of inspiration. I love Vietnam very much, but I have neither the duty nor the qualifications to represent an entire nation, an extremely diverse and rich artistic community. And I don’t think anyone can do that.
TCMT: So what do you think you have contributed to Vietnamese art as a contemporary artist?
T.TN: The thing that makes me most proud, above all my personal achievements over the years, is the establishment of The Factory Contemporary Art Center. As I said earlier, most art students after graduation are extremely lost. I used to be like that. It took many years for me to find my way, understand how this art world works. Over the past 4 years, The Factory has collaborated with other spaces and artist groups in Vietnam to create exhibitions and professional art education programs for artists and the community. Until now, when people want to find a destination to see contemporary art in Saigon, everyone remembers The Factory. I think it’s a modest but still worthy contribution. When international friends look at it, they will understand that Vietnam does not only have ao dai and conical hats. We also have a diverse and extremely energetic contemporary art scene. I feel very fortunate to have worked with an extremely professional and dedicated curatorial team. In the process, I myself have learned a lot of lessons for myself.
A corner of the exhibition “Thuyền Nhà Thuyền” by artist Ly Hoang Ly at The Factory, 2017
A corner of Pham Tran Vietnam’s exhibition “Văn Tế Thập Loại Chúng Sinh” at The Factory, 2018
The Factory Contemporary Art Center
FAM: When it comes to art, it seems that the two words “market” are always “a semi-closed and half-open area” that few artists want to refer to in a “direct” and “open” way. What role does the school play in the “ecosystem” of the arts?
T.TN: First of all, we must understand the market properly. The market has always played an important role in the art ecosystem, and only if it is a healthy and transparent market. This depends a lot on the collector. If the purpose of the collection is only to decorate the house, the Vietnamese art market will forever develop only “fine art” paintings. Many Vietnamese artists in the new opening period have copied their own paintings, entering the trail of the souvenir and decoration market for Western tourists. Up to this point, many people still use revenue as a measure of an artist’s success. They forget that the selling price of the work does not always equate to the value of the art. Selling paintings at high prices often brings money, but not necessarily achievements. There are artists who are satisfied with money, that’s okay! However, the market is a double-edged sword. It can push the artist forward, but can also destroy the talent if he does not understand and does not master it. An artist who is independent and financially self-sufficient is easier to compose and free, and an artist bound by orders is the most constrained artist.
FAM: When we talk about the market, we mean money. This may seem narcissistic to artists. Art does not talk about “money, money, money…” In your opinion, is this the general story of the art world, or only in Vietnam?
T.TN: There are your stories and there are also our stories. The current market in Vietnam makes artists extremely confused because there is no clear legal framework, lack of professional and expert galleries. In addition to the common problems of the world, Vietnamese artists also face a shortage of funds for the production of works, causing artists to struggle with money, easily leaning towards decorative painting because it’s easier to sell. In European or American countries, artists have support funds from large corporations or from the government. In Vietnam, artists who can’t sell their works have to do enough jobs to make a living, unable to concentrate on composing. Not to mention the issue of copyright, counterfeiting… We still have a long way to go together to build a healthy market. In the immediate future, if collectors want to invest, they need to find themselves a good advisor to have the right direction, to build a quality collection, not an overwhelming collection in terms of quantity.
FAM: If you have the opportunity to teach art students in the country, what do you think is the most important thing that you want to convey to them today?
T.TN: Hard Working and Determination. Those are two keywords. I think passion and talent are just the first step to a career. It is necessary to constantly practice, not stop learning, reading books and learning from the masters who have gone before, from friends, from life. Work every day! If I consider myself an artist, I must have a job. The work and only the work is the most convincing statement of an artist…
FAM: Thank you Thuy Nguyen for sharing these!
Source: Tap Chi My Thuat
