Tiếng Việt
Nguyễn Thế Sơn
The Artist
1978 Hanoi Vietnam
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.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
A Decade of Exposure
2023
Art Vietnam Salon Gallery, Hanoi
Da Nang in a Wink, photo relief series
2022
Wink Hotel Riverside and Wink Hotel Central, Da Nang
Saigon in a Wink, photo relief series
2020
Wink Hotel Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ho Chi Minh City
Collective City, Seoul Biennale
Journey to the Windmill Land
Mountain Connecting Mountain, River Connecting River
Journey at the Seven Hill Land
2019
Korea
Minerva Academy, The Netherlands
Lumenvisum Art Space, Hong Kong
AGOhub Art Space, Hanoi
City and Memory
2018
AGOhub, Hanoi, Vietnam
Color of the Sound, K-Art Gallery
2017
Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Korea
Devant Derrière (Changing Face)
The Stories of Sixteen Coffee Tables
2016
L’Espace, Hanoi, Vietnam
Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
8m2, photo installation
Hanoi – A Living Museum
2015
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam
50 Dao Duy Tu, Hanoi, Vietnam
Nha Mat Pho Night Series, ASEAN-Korea Contemporary Media Art Exhibition
From Pho Phai to Nha Mat Pho
Nha Tay Transforms
2013
Seoul, Korea
Eight Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Manzi Art Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
Nha Mat Pho (Saigon Series), Cactus Contemporary Art Gallery and Goethe-Institut
The Road Home is Far Away
Nha Mat Pho, photo-relievo exhibition
2012
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
CHULA Art Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam
New Higher Level, painting exhibition
2009
Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam
High Above, photo installation exhibition
2007
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam
Headwash, photo installation
Leaf’s Shadow, photo installation in Within the Room exhibition
2005
Ryllega Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Vietnam in Transition: 1976–Present
Then and Now: Hanoi Streets in Transition, with William Crawford
A City in Photography, Photo Hanoi ’23 Biennale
2023
Wende Museum, USA
Manzi Exhibition Space, 2 Ngo Hang Bun, Hanoi
22 Hang Buom, Hanoi
Unleashing Creativity Week
World’s Fair
2021
22 Hang Buom, Hanoi
Dubai EXPO
Bandung Photo Showcase
Street Vendor
2020
Indonesia
Public Art Phuc Tan, Hanoi
Bản sắc và hội nhập
The Twilight Between Light and Darkness
2019
Indonesia
Public Art Phuc Tan, Hanoi
Contemporary Art Museum
Light as Pink Feather, with Nguyen The Son and Nguyen Kim To Lan
Vietnam–Korea Joint Public Art Project: For a Better Space
2018
National Assembly, Hanoi
Worcester Museum, Massachusetts, USA
START
A Present Retrospective
2017
Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
Work Room Four Art Space, Hanoi
Vietnam Eye: Vietnamese Contemporary Art
Hanoi – The Future Metropolis
Carrying the Carriers, installation for Into Thin Air Project
2016
Casa Italia, Hanoi
L’Espace, Hanoi
Manzi Art Space, Hanoi
Sum of the Parts
Go to the East
Story of 16 Coffee Tables, photo installation in Mien Meo Mieng (Land of Distortion)
2015
Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
Work Room Four Art Space, Hanoi
Bildmuseet, Umea University, Sweden
8m2 Project, Green Journey for Vietnam
House Facing the Street (Karaoke Series)
2014
Museum of Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
Asian-Korea Contemporary Media Art, Jakarta, Indonesia
8m2 Project, Green Journey for Vietnam
House Facing the Street (Karaoke Series)
2014
Canvas International Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
L’Espace Triartis, Paris, France
I’m Looking for the Communal House, Dialog with Dinh Project
Nha Mat Pho
Mountain Links with Mountain, River Links with River, RiverScape in Flux
2013
Museum of Vietnam Fine Arts University, Hanoi
iet Art Center, Hanoi
Jakarta, Manila, Yangon
Vietnam Now, The Rotunda
Nha Mat Pho, photo-relievo
RiverScape in Flux Project
2012
Exchange Square, Hong Kong Land
CAFA Art Museum, Beijing
Goethe-Institut Bangkok, Hanoi, and Saigon
Four Seasons Suite
2011
Viet Art Center, Hanoi
Hanoi – The City in Ar
Premonition
Vinatree photo-installation, Hue Festival
New Higher Level (silk painting)
Four Seasons, Art on Peace Exhibition
2010
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
Viet Art Center, Hanoi
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
Beijing, China
Dissolve Series, Teachers’ Art Works
2009
Viet Art Center, Hanoi
The Group, photo installation
My Oasis of Silence
Vietnamese Silk Painting Exhibition
2008
L’Espace, Hanoi
Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
National Art Museum, Hanoi (Dong Son Today Foundation Award)
Nuoc Xa Lua Gan, video installation
Vinatree, photo installation
2007
Hanoi Fine Arts University
Super Conductor
2006
Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi
Mauvais Goût Exhibition
Tree Shadow, photo installation
Tree & Life, video
2005
L’Espace, Hanoi
Goethe-Institut, Hanoi
Hanoi Fine Arts University
Story of Water, photo installation
2004
Hanoi Fine Arts University
Teacher of the College Exhibition
2003
Hanoi
Hanoi Fine Arts Exhibition
2002
Hanoi
Eye on the World, Nokia Asia-Pacific Award (Bronze Medal)
Vietnam – My Country
2001
Vietnamese Fine Arts Association, Hanoi
National Fine Arts Exhibition
2000
Hanoi
