Nguyen The Son
Born in Hanoi – Viet Nam
2000 Graduated from Hanoi Foreign Language University – Chinese Dept.
2002 Graduated from Hanoi Fine Arts University – Fine Arts Dept.
2002 to 2008 Worked at Vietnam Fine Arts University.
2008 to 2012 Studied Master’s course at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing, China.
2012 Graduated from CAFA, Design Institute, Fine Arts Photography major.
2012 to 2022 Worked as lecturer at Vietnam Fine Arts University.
2022 to present Work as lecturer at Vietnam National University.
Nguyen The Son is a very gifted multi-talented artist with an international reputation as a scholar, teacher, photographer, and multi-disciplinary artist working in various mediums; silk painting, installation, 3-dimensional photography (photo relief), and printmaking.
Son has been teaching at the Vietnam Fine Arts University in Hanoi since 2002 and continues to inspire his students to push the boundaries of their disciplines and to try new techniques and methods. He received his master’s in photography at CAFA in Beijing in 2012 where he graduated with distinction and won the talent prize for his 3 dimensional photos he calls photo relief. Son has developed this photo relief work into many series such as Nha Mat Pho (Houses Facing the Street), Nha Tay (Western Villas), and others that depict the rapid development of Vietnam and the social and economic transformations that follows.
His generous scholarly nature has led him to create and procure funding for several public art projects such as the Phung Hung Street Mural Project in Hanoi, the National Assembly Museum, Hanoi and recently the Phuc Tan Public Art Project near the Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi which involved the entire community and raised public awareness of climate change, pollution as well as an appreciation of the arts. The artist is highly respected in Vietnam as well as internationally for his tireless efforts to support and expose Vietnamese artists at home as well as abroad.
Son has participated in workshops and exhibitions in China, France, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, USA, the Netherlands, Sweden. His works are in the public collections of The Aegon Kunstcollectie, The Netherlands; CAFA, Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, China; Worcester Museum Massachusetts, USA and in numerous private collections in Belgium, China, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, USA, and Vietnam.
2023 “A Decade of Exposure” solo exhibition at Art Vietnam Salon Gallery, Hanoi 2022 “Da Nang in a Wink” photo relief series, Wink Hotel Riverside and Wink Hotel Central, Da Nang 2020 “Saigon in a Wink” photo relief series at Wink Hotel Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ho Chi Minh City 2019 “Collective City” at Seoul Biennale, Korea 2018 “City and Memory” at AGOhub, Hanoi, Vietnam 2017 “Color of the Sound” at K-Art Gallery, Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea 2016 “Devant Derrière (Changing Face)” at L’Espace, Hanoi, Vietnam 2015 “8m²” photo installation exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam 2013 “Nhà Mặt Phố Night Series” at ASEAN-Korea Contemporary Media Art Exhibition, Seoul, Korea 2012 “Nhà Mặt Phố (Saigon Series)” at Cactus Contemporary Art Gallery and Goethe-Institut, Ho Chi Minh City 2009 “New Higher Level” painting exhibition at Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi 2007 “High Above” photo installation exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi 2005 “Headwash” photo installation at Ryllega Gallery, Hanoi
“Journey to the Windmill Land” at Minerva Academy, The Netherlands
“Mountain Connecting Mountain, River Connecting River” at Lumenvisum Art Space, Hong Kong
“Journey at the Seven Hill Land” at AGOhub Art Space, Hanoi
“The Stories of Sixteen Coffee Tables” installation at Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
“Hanoi – A Living Museum” at 50 Dao Duy Tu, Hanoi, Vietnam
“From Phố Phái to Nhà Mặt Phố” at Eight Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
“Nhà Tây TRANSFORMS” at Manzi Art Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
“The Road Home is Far Away” photo exhibition at CHULA Art Space, Hanoi
“Nhà Mặt Phố” photo-relievo exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
“Leaf’s Shadow” photo installation in Within the Room exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
2023 Vietnam in Transition, 1976–Present at Wende Museum, USA
Then and Now: Hanoi Streets in Transition, conversation of William Crawford with Nguyen The Son at Manzi Exhibition Space, 2 Ngõ Hàng Bún, Hanoi
A City in Photography, Photo Hanoi ’23 Biennale at 22 Hàng Buồm, Hanoi
2021 Unleashing Creativity Week at 22 Hàng Buồm, Hanoi
World’s Fair at Dubai EXPO
2020 Bandung Photo Showcase, Indonesia
“Street Vendor” at Public Art Phúc Tân, Hanoi
2019 “Bản sắc và hội nhập” at Vietnam Fine Arts University
“The Twilight Between Light and Darkness” at AGOhub, Hanoi
2018 Contemporary Art Museum at National Assembly, Hanoi
“Light as Pink Feather” with Nguyen The Son and Nguyen Kim To Lan at Worcester Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Vietnam Korea Joint Public Art Project: For a Better Space
2017 START at Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
“A Present Retrospective” at Work Room Four Art Space, Hanoi
2016 Vietnam Eye: Vietnamese Contemporary Art at Casa Italia, Hanoi
“Hanoi – The Future Metropolis” at L’Espace, Hanoi
“Carrying the Carriers” mobile installation in Into Thin Air project at Manzi Art Space, Hanoi
2015 Sum of the Parts exhibition at Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
“Go to the East” photo series at Work Room Four Art Space, Hanoi
“Story of 16 Coffee Tables” photo installation in Miền Méo Miệng (Land of Distortion) exhibition at Umeå Bildmuseet University, Sweden
2014 “8m²” project photo installation in Green Journey for Vietnam exhibition at Museum of Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
“House Facing the Street (Karaoke Series)” in Asian-Korea Contemporary Media Art, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Vietnam Now: Changing Society” at Canvas International Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“Réalités Chimériques” at L’Espace Triartis, Paris, France
2013 “I’m Looking for the Communal House” photo exhibition in Dialog with Đình Project at Museum of Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
“Nhà Mặt Phố” photo exhibition at Viet Art Center, Hanoi
“Mountain Links With Mountain, River Links With River” in River Scape in Flux Project, photo installation in Jakarta, Manila, Yangon
2012 “Vietnam Now” at The Rotunda, Exchange Square, Hong Kong
“Nhà Mặt Phố” photo-relievo in The Start of a Long Journey, Excellent Graduation Works exhibition at CAFA Art Museum, Beijing
“Mountain Links With Mountain, River Links With River” in River Scape in Flux Project, photo installation at Goethe-Institut, Bangkok, Hanoi, and Saigon
“Nhà Mặt Phố” photo-relievo at CAFA Art Museum, Beijing
2011 “Four Seasons Suite” photography series at Viet Art Center, Hanoi
2010 “Hanoi – The City in Art” at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
“Premonition” photography series in From the Myth to the Reality at Viet Art Center, Hanoi
“Vinatree” photo installation in Nặng Bồng Nhẹ Tếch outdoor exhibition at Hue Festival, Hue
“New Higher Level” silk painting series in City in Art exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
“Four Seasons” photography series in Art on Peace exhibition, Beijing
2009 “Dissolve” photographic series in Teachers’ Art Works exhibition at Viet Art Center, Hanoi
2008 “The Group” photo installation at L’Espace, Hanoi
“My Oasis of Silence” photographic exhibition at Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
Vietnamese silk painting exhibition at National Art Museum, Hanoi
Awarded the Đông Sơn Today Foundation Award
2007 “Nước xa lửa gần” video installation at Hanoi Fine Arts University
“Vinatree” photo installation at Hanoi Fine Arts University
2006 “Super Conductor” mixed show exhibition at Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
2005 “Mauvais Goût” exhibition at L’Espace, Hanoi
“Tree Shadow” photo installation in Within the Room exhibition at Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
“Tree & Life” video in Tree exhibition at Hanoi Fine Arts University
2004 “Story of Water” photo installation in Giving Water an Image exhibition at Hanoi Fine Arts University
2003 “Teacher of the College” exhibition in Hanoi
2002 Hanoi Fine Arts Exhibition in Hanoi
2001 “Eye on the World” exhibition, Nokia Award – Asia Pacific, awarded Bronze Medal
“Vietnam – My Country” exhibition by the Vietnamese Fine Arts Association, Hanoi
2000 National Fine Arts Exhibition in Hanoi
2016 Vietnam Eye: Contemporary Vietnamese Art, published by SKIRA
2015 Hà Nội – Capital City, published by Goethe-Institut Hanoi
Signature Art Prize 2014, published by Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation
2013 Hà Nội: Lost and Found, published by ThingsAsian, Hong Kong
Parallax ASEAN: Changing Landscapes, Wandering Stars, published by ASEAN-Korea Center
The Many Faces of Hanoi: Of Art and Life, WORD Vietnam, April 2013
2012 Vietnam Now, published by Art Vietnam Gallery
The Start of a Long Journey, published by CAFA, China
Vietnamese Contemporary Art, published by Knowledge Publishing House, Hanoi
River Scape in Flux, published by Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
Nhà Mặt Phố, published by Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
2010 Hanoi – A City in Art Catalogue – New Higher Level
2009 Vietnam News – Lifestyle – New Higher Level
Asian Art News – “Under Construction” by Ian Findlay-Brown, Vol. 19, August 2009
2007 Saigon City Life – “Midnight Conversation,” Vol. 05/2007
2006 Heritage Fashion – “Leaf Shadow,” Vol. 31, Dec 2005 – Jan 2006
2005 Vietnam News – Lifestyle – “Shadows Symbolize Struggles, Hopes,” Vol. XV, No. 4861, March 3, 2005
The Aegon Kunstcollectie, The Netherlands
CAFA – Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Intercontinental Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam
Private collections in China, Vietnam, USA, France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium
