The digital "Art Show" at Cage on 23 October was a spectacularly good night and had us wondering why we’re using our laptops for email and spreadsheets when there is apparently so much more to do. The work of eleven young digital artists showed a mindboggling array of digital techniques and for a few hours Saigon drank, danced to DJ Drew and VJ Paki and digested art somewhere outside our usual reality.

The organizer of Art Show was Ms. Nguyen Que Huong, an experienced digital artist and a visualizer at Saatchi & Saatchi Vietnam. Like Huong the eleven exhibiting artists aren’t kids sitting at home fiddling with Photoshop. They are industry professionals with titles ranging from concept artist to illustrator with work credits reading like the who’s who of the advertising world. AnyArena caught up with four of these incredible artists and learnt about fact, fiction and fractals.

Nguyen Quang Nhut (Yooyie) is a freelance concept artist who is using inspirations as diverse as melted ice cream and geishas to get digital art happening in Vietnam. He told us about the alternative reality he escapes to through his art.
 

What is your first memory of a work of art?

It would be the work of art from Natalie Shau. It was an illustration of a little girl with an ice-cream melting on her baby pink ballet dress against a light blue background. It really struck me and became one of the major influences of my style, especially in color blending. I particularly like to use pink and blue in my works.

Your work is surreal, delicately crossing the border of reality into fantasy. What are your inspirations?

As an artist, I think sometimes reality is so mundane, plain and secular. That’s why people want to escape to a different world which is more beautiful and perfect. When I think about art, I usually dream of something extraordinary. Surrealism, fantasy and metaphor make things easier to be acknowledged and accepted. So I think my style of art can be appealing to everybody.

Who is your favorite fantasy character?

I admire Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She is different from other characters of Walt Disney because she is just a normal girl from a normal family yet she has the strong will and inner strength to be able to do what she wants without depending on anyone. Somehow I find that character reflects my personalities.
 

A lot of your characters look like dolls, why do you portray what could be seen as superficial beauty?

Much of the inspiration is from the geishas in Japanese Noh drama. Many find the face of the actress behind the thick powder looks soulless and glacial, but I do not think so. I think it is just a layer to cover her complicated feelings and beautiful soul. My characters are dolls with souls, not just toys, and they have the ability to express their thinking and feeling.

What is your opinion about the arts scene in Vietnam, in particular the digital arts scene?

It is fast developing and I am very optimistic about its future. We have two UNREAL 99% exhibitions and competitions, many training centers and universities providing digital arts and graphic design courses. A lot of people are employed in the game industry and nowadays employers really appreciate candidates with digital arts backgrounds in their resumes.

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Moonyk Bich Khoa (Moonyk) is a freelance illustrator and the winner of last year’s digital painting prize at the Unreal 99% competition. Her work might utilize cutting edge technology but her inspirations and expressions are timeless and she was happy to chat about her subconscious.
 

When did you get involved in art?

I think I started to paint and sketch in elementary school, but started to use computers and software later when I worked for Nhi Dong magazine. I actually took classes but most of the time I learned how to use the software through tutorials and practice.

Much of your work features manga style characters, is this form of Japanese comic art a source of inspiration for you?

Most of my inspirations come from old-time artists such as Alphonse Mucha or Klimt, as well as some Japanese manga artists like Amano Yoshitaka.

What is the standard time-frame to complete one of your pieces?

It depends on the complexity of the painting. If I stay very concentrated, it would take two days but usually I take maybe a week to finish a painting.

In your art there is a recurring theme of entrapment, what are you trying to convey to your audience?

Maybe I myself am trapped. Maybe my subconscious is doing the talking. Painting makes me feel better and more comfortable because I never understand why and how to be free, so it is a way to get that kind of freedom.

Do you reflect any aspects of your own character through the heroines featured in your work?

Yes, some elements, it is just like writing, an author at some points needs to express himself, his thoughts and personalities; just like an artist in his paintings.

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Pham Ba Thanh Dat (Judaz) is a flash developer and designer making math cool again with his fractal art. He told us about his favorite artist and why he stays away from canvas.
 

Fractal art is a style that has been emerging in contemporary art scenes since the 1990s. Could you tell us a little more about it?

It is very hard to explain because it’s not a popular art, no one here can tell you what it is exactly. But in general, it is all about mathematics. I use software to create my own formulas and that helps me to make fractal art.

Are most of the results you achieve with your software planned or are they more unexpected?

It is like looking for seashell on the beach, when you collect enough you can put it together, but you have to find them one by one.

Which artist do you think that has influenced your style the most?

I would say Nicholas Rouguex, a very talented young American fractal artist.

Although Fractals exist natively as electronic images, do you ever find yourself working on canvas or paper?

No, because it is all about formulas and mathematics. I don’t paint either.

Do you think that technology is making a positive impact on art?

Sure, I am myself a digital artist. We cannot tell yet but with more advanced technology we could have more ideas and more things to use.

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Hoang Nam Viet’s (Nhp2003) day job is working as a visualizer for Saatchi & Saatchi but out of the office he creates remarkable figurative works that tip-toe the line between fantasy and reality. He told us why he’s cool with censorship and chatted about some travel plans.

What are the 3 words would you use to describe your profession?
Demanding, stressful, exhilarating

Your art portrays a strong element of fantasy. Who do you want to appeal to with this style of art?

I have always been into the combination of surrealism and fantasy. When I create something it is first and foremost for me, then for the people inside my circle like friends and colleagues who know me well and appreciate what I do. Subsequently, it is for the masses.

Some of your pieces feature nudity. Is this sensitive due to censorship laws in Vietnam?

Censorship is necessary here because, after all, this is still an Eastern country. Nude art involves many elements like lighting, positioning, concept, angles, etcetera. It evokes suggestive powers, not porn. Within the regulations and restrictions of censorship, cultural values are maintained while creativity still has space to grow.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I want to travel around the country and Asia once I have enough money. I plan to stay for a couple of months at each destination to understand the culture, civilization and ethnicity, not just sightseeing for one or two days. Hopefully inspiration will come and I can create something new and extraordinary. At the end of that adventure, I can give exhibition more thought.
 

See more photos from this great event.

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