20 years of celebrating art and life in Vietnam — Artist Nguyen Cam and Art Vietnam Gallerist Suzanne Lecht mark an honoring of the past, an embracing of the present, and a look to the future.
One a stranger in his homeland, one a stranger in a land of strangers — Nguyen Cam and Suzanne Lecht are celebrating 20 years of art and life in Vietnam, each possessing a rich memory full of longing for a life lost and a well of happiness for a life regained.
Born in Haiphong in 1944, Nguyen Cam returned to Vietnam in 1994 after being exiled with his family in 1954. A period of living in Laos — raising his five siblings alone at the tender age of 17 — was followed by a move to Paris in 1969. An autodidact, Cam had opened a gallery in Vientiane and gained local repute as an artist of talent and passion. Fueled by ambition and dreams, Cam moved to Paris to enroll in the École des Beaux-Arts, perhaps to verify — to himself alone — that he was, in truth, a “real artist.”
In 1994, as a tribute to Cam both as an artist and as a man, the Vietnamese government invited him back to his country to exhibit and teach at the national fine arts universities. Reunited with his homeland after a 50-year absence, it was a powerful, moving experience for the seasoned artist. His memories of Vietnam were those of a child — an innocent trapped in the turmoil of a country facing forces beyond his control. Moving through the halls of memory, traces of the past began to appear in his work. Old rice sacks, votive paper offerings, small patches of silver leaf applied lovingly — as one might adorn a Buddhist sculpture — began to emerge. Fragments of the past and reverence for the present appeared as adornments, marking his reconciliation with history and heart.
A hard-won freedom emerged. Walls collapsed. The alluvial soil of memory ebbed and flowed as the wellspring of his hopes and joys was finally released from the stricture of time.
The works became a progression of free canvas tarpaulins covered with torn rice sacks: Roots, Traces of the Past (1997), slashes of injury held together by a thread of hope, dangling ropes of tenuous connection — a man struggling to mend the fractures of his soul. Against Wind and Tide (1999) followed. Slowly, the works evolved into more peaceful ruminations, a reconciliation with memory. More joyous works emerged: Memory of Spring (1999) depicted rays of light and renewed energy. A sense of calm began to prevail in Music of Infinity (2004), as Cam eased into the autumn years of his life. The Milky Way (2004) conveyed wonder at our transient place in the universe.
For the last 20 years, Cam has returned to Vietnam to paint, exhibit, and visit with friends and family — restoring ties to his homeland and his memory. His current works reveal a man at peace with the world, expressing the majesty of life in all its joys and sorrows. Recent paintings like Beginning of Winter (2012), Ginkgo Sun (2012), Imprints 5 (2011), and Summer Sun (2012) are filled with joy and wonder — a life reconciled. The artist and the man have returned to themselves and are now at one with the world.
The 20 Year Anniversary of Suzanne Lecht in Vietnam, her journey discovering the heart of the hidden world of contemporary art in Vietnam
Suzanne Lecht, an American, was widowed at age 44. Leaving behind sorrow and a life in Tokyo, she was compelled in 1994 to move to Vietnam — a mysterious land with a tragic past, entwined with her own. A Cathay Pacific in-flight magazine featuring works by the pioneering “Gang of Five” artists captured her heart. A decision was made: she would create a new life in this enigmatic country, hoping to become a small bridge of reconciliation between two nations — bound not by war, but by the beauty of the spirit.
A chance encounter on her first day in Hanoi led her to the studio of Pham Quang Vinh, a member of the Gang of Five. A deep friendship began, as Suzanne immersed herself in the arts and culture of Vietnam. In 1997, she met Nguyen Cam at Nam Son Gallery, where she purchased Roots, Traces of the Past (1997), one of the first major works in her collection. Cam and Suzanne’s friendship flourished as they both navigated a land at once familiar and foreign, each healing the wounds of the past.
In 1998, Suzanne exhibited Cam’s works in a solo show at the Arts of Pacific Asia in New York City. Many years of international presentations followed: in Paris, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Art Asia New York, Art Asia Miami, and a special solo exhibition in 2003 at the Robert Mondavi Winery celebrating Robert Mondavi’s 90th birthday.
In 2005, Suzanne opened Fielding Lecht Gallery in Austin, Texas, with a solo exhibition of Nguyen Cam. Their friendship has deepened over the years, bound by a shared belief in the power of art to transform, to reconcile, and to endure.
2014 marks Suzanne Lecht’s 20th year living and working in Vietnam — a journey of self-discovery, and a deep appreciation for a culture not her own, but one adopted by her heart.
Please join us in celebrating this meaningful occasion — an honoring of life, beauty, art, and lives well lived.
Suzanne Lecht
Art Director
Art Vietnam Gallery
