About
Tuan Vu deliberately avoids seeking the ideal form, recognizing that the spontaneity of his gestures and the apparent "mistakes" he makes often lead to the creation of something unique and extraordinary. His artwork is a projection of his thoughts, his state of mind, and his subconscious, taking on a life of its own as he allows himself to be guided by his intuition.
Drawing inspiration from some of the world's most renowned artists, such as Gauguin, Bonnard, Redon, and Peter Doig, Tuan Vu uses a rich palette of colors to create works that are not only visually striking but also deeply thought-provoking. His art invites the viewer to explore different layers of meaning, often reflecting his own quest for identity in a world marked by environmental, social, and economic turmoil.
His childhood memories of Vietnam are a frequent theme in his work, with lush natural landscapes and palm trees appearing in many of his pieces. These images, whether vibrant and flamboyant or stripped down and fragile, often serve as clues to the underlying message of the artwork. Water plays an important role in Tuan Vu's artwork. Not only is water a vital resource for life on Earth but its relationship with consciousness and spirituality has been explored throughout history in many cultures.
Ultimately, Tuan Vu's artwork is a powerful testament to the transformative power of art, capable of provoking deep introspection and reflection in those who encounter it. His thought-provoking creations serve as a reminder of the importance of engaging with the world around us, providing a source of inspiration and hope in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
Biography
Tuan Vu was born in Saigon, Vietnam. As far back as he can remember, he never stopped creating. His favorite mediums are drawing, painting, and photography, which did not prevent him from touching also on design and architecture.
Although he has attended several drawing, painting, and photography workshops at the University of Montreal over the years, he remains essentially a self-taught artist. His natural talent is profusely expressed through his work.
His work was first seen at an auction he organized in 2010 to help people in Haiti hit by a devastating earthquake. Subsequently, he participated in four group exhibitions: Pluriel au singulier at the Galerie GOT (2016), Beach Life at the Galerie Luz (2019), Montréal en Arts (2021), and at the Institut National Art Contemporain gallery (2022) which his works represented by the gallery. He has also had three solo exhibitions: the photography exhibition Brume at Galerie LUZ (2018). In 2021, the exhibition of paintings, drawings, and photographs Eternal Summer/Endless Summer at the LE LivART Art Center. In 2022, an individual exhibition of paintings: Songes Hédonistes at the Institut National Art Contemporain gallery. He participated in an art fair FOCUS ART FAIR (BOOM) at the Carrousel du Louvre, in Paris (2022).
In 2019, he gave a lecture on Photography and Intuition at the ALPA Photo Club in Longueuil. In 2021, he was named artist of the month at YES Montreal, gave an interview to LeZarts on MATV as a guest artist, and received a Merit for his participation in the Luxembourg Art Prize (2021 and 2022). In 2022, he is a guest artist for the conference on photography and painting at Women's Art Society Montreal (WASM). An article from the most-read newspaper in Quebec, Lapresse, is dedicated to the exhibition Songes Hédonistes (2022). Finally, he was selected among the finalist artists for the 30th-anniversary edition of the London-based magazine ArtMaze (2022) and Friends of Artists (FOA).
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
SOLO November 2023
Downtown Los Angeles - Paintings, Simard Bilodeau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, United States
SOLO March 2024
London WANDSWORTH - Paintings, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK
SOLO June 2024
Maison de la Culture Sud Ouest - Paintings, Photographies, Montréal, QC, Canada
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Songes Hédoniques - Paintings, Institut National Art Contemporain Gallery, Montreal, QC, Canada
2021
L'Été éternel/Endless Summer - Paintings and Photography, LivArt, Montreal, QC, Canada
2018
Brume - Photography, Galerie Luz (Belgo Building), Montreal, QC, Canada
2010
Encan Soutien à Haïti - Drawings and Paintings, Montreal, QC, Canada
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Agrégat Université de Sherbrooke à Longueuil - V.I.D.E, Longueuil, QC, Canada
Cache Studio - Paintings, Montreal, QC, Canada
Wishbone Gallery - Sundaze, Montreal, QC, Canada
Duran Mashaal Gallery - Paintings, Montreal, QC, Canada
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery - Where the Wild Roses Grow, Schloss Görne, Berlin, Germany
Simard Bilodeau Gallery - Fauve, Los Angeles, CA, United States
2022
Institut National Art Contemporain Gallery - Paintings, Montreal, QC, Canada
2021
MTL en Arts - Paintings and Photography, Montreal, QC, Canada
2019
Beach Life - Photography, Galerie Luz (Belgo Building), Montreal, QC, Canada
2016
Pluriel au singulier - Photography, Galerie Got, Montreal, QC, Canada
ART FAIR
2023 - 17-21 May
FOCUS NYC - Chelsea Industrial, New York, United States
2022 - 01-04 September
ART BOOM FOCUS PARIS - Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
PRESS, INTERVIEWS
2022 - LaPresse: Les histoires tropicales de Tuan Vu
2021 - LeZarts: The Arts of Montreal on MAtv
CONFERENCE
2023 - Business Skills for Creative Souls Artists - YesMontréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
2022 - Guest Speaker - Painter and Photographer at Women's Art Society, Montréal, QC, Canada
2019 - Photographie et Intuition, Club de Photo ALPA, Longueuil, QC, Canada
RECOGNITIONS
2023 - Finalists for publication in the 17th Volume Friends of Artists (FOA)
2022 - Finalists for publication in the 30th anniversary ArtMaze Magazine (Double Edition 30-31)
2022 - Luxembourg merit participation
2021 - YES MONTREAL Client of the Month
https://yesmontreal.ca/december-january-client-of-the-month-tuan-vu/
2021- Luxembourg merit participation